title: Prevalence and characteristics of trauma and post-traumatic stress symptoms in operational members of the South African National Defence Force.
abstract: The prevalence of traumatic event exposure and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were surveyed in a cohort of 198 full-time operational members of the South African National Defence Force stationed in their "home" unit between deployments. Approximately 90% of members reported having experienced or witnessed trauma in their lifetime (mean number of traumatic events = 4.3 +/- 3.2), whereas 51% reported having inflicted trauma. Twenty-six percent met diagnostic criteria for PTSD on self-report with approximately 29% with PTSD also meeting diagnostic criteria for depression. Few members, however, sought help. PTSD symptom severity was best predicted by trauma type (exposure to physical assault and infliction of life-threatening injury). These findings highlight the high rates of exposure to multiple, noncombat-related trauma in military personnel, the potentially high rates of PTSD, and the role of inflicted trauma as an additional risk factor for PTSD.
authors.affiliation: MRC Unit on Anxiety and Stress Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, University of Stellenbosch, P.O. Box 19063, Tygerberg, 7505, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Soraya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Seedat
authors.forename: Christoff
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: le Roux
authors.forename: Dan J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Stein
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003130:Combat Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D015995:Prevalence; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology