An exploration of the characteristics of post-traumatic stress disorder in reserve forces deployed during Desert Storm

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), previously defined in Vietnam War veterans, was described in 251 Desert Storm reservists. The Mississippi Scale, Revised, was used with a brief demographic profile to survey Army, Marine, and Air Force personnel who had been deployed to Saudi Arabia. Age, sex, marital status, race, rank, duty, length of deployment, and branch of service were not found to be significantly related to PTSD symptoms. However, those surveyed within 3 to 6 months of homecoming reported significantly greater symptoms than those surveyed after 6 months. Five percent of subjects were found to have clinically diagnostic levels of PTSD symptoms 6 months after homecoming. Individuals who expressed difficulty discussing their experiences with more than one person also showed significantly higher PTSD scores. These findings indicate that readjustment reactions were prevalent during the first 6 months and that PTSD could be identified in 5% of the Desert Storm veterans.