Posttraumatic stress disorder in World War II and Korean combat veterans with alcohol dependency.
Our country was confronted with the problems of postcombat adjustment while the Vietnam conflict was still winding down. Concerns centered on the disruptive impact of returning drug-dependent veterans, the overall problems of readjustment, and assessment of public attitudes. As is the case with each major conflict, health-care-delivery systems were forced to assess and react to the aftermath of combat. This took place within the framework of the disciplines of program evaluation, quality assurance, and clinically applied research. Out of this has evolved a determined attempt to understand the interaction between combat and psychiatric disorders including alcoholism. This chapter demonstrates the existence of a posttraumatic stress syndrome compounded by alcoholism in World War II and Korean Conflict veterans. These comorbidities have resulted in chronic maladjustment over a prolonged period of time. Recommendations suggest early detection and triage of a posttraumatic syndrome and co-related substance use disorder in people who experience any catastrophic stressor.
Druley
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KA
Substance Abuse Treatment Unit, Coatesville VA Medical Center, Pennsylvania 19320.
Pashko
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D000437:Alcoholism / Q000523:psychology*; D003130:Combat Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology*; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology*; D014857:Warfare