War-related posttraumatic stress disorder in Black, Hispanic, and majority White Vietnam veterans: the roles of exposure and vulnerability.
Elevated prevalence rates of chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been reported for Black and Hispanic Vietnam veterans. There has been no comprehensive explanation of these group differences. Moreover, previous research has relied on retrospective reports of war-zone stress and on PTSD assessments that fail to distinguish between prevalence and incidence. These limitations are addressed by use of record-based exposure measures and clinical diagnoses of a subsample of veterans from the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study (NVVRS). Compared with Majority White, the Black elevation is explained by Blacks' greater exposure; the Hispanic elevation, by Hispanics' greater exposure, younger age, lesser education, and lower Armed Forces Qualification Test scores. The PTSD elevation in Hispanics versus Blacks is accounted for mainly by Hispanics' younger age.
Dohrenwend
Bruce P
BP
Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA. dohrenw@pi.cpmc.columbia.edu
Turner
J Blake
JB
Turse
Nicholas A
NA
Lewis-Fernandez
Roberto
R
Yager
Thomas J
TJ
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000367:Age Factors; D003130:Combat Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D004198:Disease Susceptibility / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D014728:Veterans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D047829:Vietnam Conflict; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data