The USS Cole bombing: analysis of pre-existing factors as predictors for development of post-traumatic stress or depressive disorders.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if pre-existing demographic factors (e.g., age, marital status, military rank) forecasted predisposition or resilience to the development of post-traumatic stress or depressive symptoms in the crew of the USS Cole following the suicide bombing in 2000.


METHODS
The Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale and the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) were administered to the crew. Demographic data were also collected and analyzed to discover to what extent, if any, pre-existing demographic factors had on the mean scores of the Zung and IES-R.


RESULTS
The results revealed that higher rank, older age, and male gender were protective factors against developing symptoms of posttraumatic stress; whereas lower rank, younger age, female gender, and having been injured or having had a friend injured or killed were associated with the development of symptoms. Other pre-existing factors examined did not demonstrate any predictive value.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings increase our understanding of which pre-existing demographic factors might portend susceptibility to the development of post-traumatic stress and depressive symptoms, knowledge that we hope can contribute to the U.S. military's ongoing efforts to develop therapeutic interventions better targeted to individual needs.
Nasky
Kevin M
KM
Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, 620 John Paul Jones Circle, Portsmouth, VA 23708, USA.
Hines
Neil N
NN
Simmer
Edward
E
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D054042:Bombs; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D053834:Explosive Agents; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008887:Military Medicine; D008889:Military Personnel; D011594:Psychometrics; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D023481:Terrorism; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries; D055815:Young Adult
D053834:Explosive Agents