Persistence of traumatic memories in World War II prisoners of war.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the long-term effects of the prisoner of war (POW) experience on U.S. World War II (WWII) veterans.


METHODS
Exploratory study.


METHODS
Participants were recruited through the Hines Veterans Affairs Hospital; a POW reunion in Orlando, Florida; and the WWII veterans periodical, "The QUAN."


METHODS
One hundred fifty-seven American military veterans who were former WWII POWs.


METHODS
Participants completed a mailed survey describing their POW experiences, POW effects on subsequent psychological and physical well-being, and ways in which these experiences shaped major decisions in their lives.


RESULTS
Participants from the European and Pacific theaters reported that their captivity during WWII affected their long-term emotional well-being. Both groups reported high rates of reflection, dreaming, and flashbacks pertaining to their POW experiences, but Pacific theater POWs did so at higher rates in the present than in the past. Large portions of both groups reported greater rumination on POW experiences after retirement. Finally, 16.6% of participants met the requirements of a current, clinical diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) based on the Mississippi PTSD scale, with PTSD rates in Pacific theater POWs (34%) three times those of European theater POWs (12%).


CONCLUSIONS
Traumatic memories and clinical levels of PTSD persist for WWII POWs as long as 65 years after their captivity. Additionally, rumination about these experiences, including flashbacks and persistent nightmares, may increase after retirement, particularly for those held in the Pacific theater. These findings inform the current therapeutic needs of this elderly population and future generations of POWs from other military conflicts.
Rintamaki
Lance S
LS
Departments of Communication and Health Behavior, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA. rlance@buffalo.edu
Weaver
Frances M
FM
Elbaum
Philip L
PL
Klama
Edward N
EN
Miskevics
Scott A
SA
D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003130:Combat Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008568:Memory; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology*; D047789:World War II