Anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and depression in Korean War veterans 50 years after the war.
BACKGROUND
There has been no comprehensive investigation of psychological health in Australia's Korean War veteran population, and few researchers are investigating the health of coalition Korean War veterans into old age.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the association between war service, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression in Australia's 7525 surviving male Korean War veterans and a community comparison group.


METHODS
A survey was conducted using a self-report postal questionnaire which included the PTSD Checklist, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale and the Combat Exposure Scale.


RESULTS
Post-traumatic stress disorder (OR 6.63, P<0.001), anxiety (OR 5.74, P<0.001) and depression (OR 5.45, P<0.001) were more prevalent in veterans than in the comparison group. These disorders were strongly associated with heavy combat and low rank.


CONCLUSIONS
Effective intervention is necessary to reduce the considerable psychological morbidity experienced by Korean War veterans. Attention to risk factors and early intervention will be necessary to prevent similar long-term psychological morbidity in veterans of more recent conflicts.
Ikin
Jillian F
JF
Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Australia. jill.ikin@med.monash.edu.au
Sim
Malcolm R
MR
McKenzie
Dean P
DP
Horsley
Keith W A
KW
Wilson
Eileen J
EJ
Moore
Michael R
MR
Jelfs
Paul
P
Harrex
Warren K
WK
Henderson
Scott
S
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D001315:Australia; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D047869:Korean War; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology*