title: The long-term implications of war captivity for mortality and health.
abstract: The current study aims to (1) assess the long-term impact of war captivity on mortality and various health aspects and (2) evaluate the potential mediating role of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depressive symptoms. Israeli ex-prisoners of war (ex-POWs) (N = 154) and a matched control group of combat veterans (N = 161) were assessed on health conditions and self-rated health 18 years post-war (1991: T1). The whole population of ex-POWs, and the T1 sample of controls were then contacted 35 years after the war (2008: T2), and invited to participate in a second wave of measurement (ex-POWs: N = 171; controls: N = 116) Captivity was implicated in premature mortality, more health-related conditions and worse self-rated health. PTSD and depressive symptoms mediated the relationship between war captivity and self-rated health, and partially mediated the relationship between war captivity and health conditions, and these effects were amplified with age. Aging ex-POWs who develop psychiatric symptomatology should be considered a high-risk group entering a high-risk period in the life cycle. It is important to monitor ex-POWs and provide them with appropriate medical and psychological treatment as they age.
authors.affiliation: Bob Shapell School of Social Work, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel, solomon@post.tau.ac.il.
authors.forename: Zahava
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Solomon
authors.forename: Talya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Greene
authors.forename: Tsachi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ein-Dor
authors.forename: Gadi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zerach
authors.forename: Yael
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Benyamini
authors.forename: Avi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ohry
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009017:Morbidity; D009026:Mortality; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014857:Warfare