title: Documented combat-related mental health problems in military noncombatants.
abstract: Although combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been documented for military combatants, little is known about PTSD in noncombatants. Active-duty U.S. Air Force noncombatants (N = 5,367) completed a Post-Deployment Health Assessment upon return from combat zones in Iraq (n = 4,408) or a noncombat zone in Qatar (n = 959). Those deployed to Iraq were significantly more likely to report exposure to someone who was wounded or killed (20.8% vs. 6.3%), feeling in great danger of being killed at some point during deployment (18.9% vs. 3.5%), symptoms of PTSD (4.1% vs. 0.7%), and symptoms of major depression (9.9% vs. 5.4%). These findings suggest that deployment to a war zone is associated with increased mental health problems, even for noncombatants.
authors.affiliation: University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA. pertersona3@uthscsa.edu
authors.forename: Alan L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Margaret F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Haynes
authors.forename: Anneke C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Bush
authors.forename: Jason E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Schillerstrom
mesh_terms: D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000193:education; D006801:Humans; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000628:therapy*; D014481:United States; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs; D014857:Warfare