title: The association of PTSD with physical and mental health functioning and disability (VA Cooperative Study #569: the course and consequences of posttraumatic stress disorder in Vietnam-era veteran twins).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the relationship of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with health functioning and disability in Vietnam-era Veterans.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study of functioning and disability in male Vietnam-era Veteran twins. PTSD was measured by the Composite International Diagnostic Interview; health functioning and disability were assessed using the Veterans RAND 36-Item Health Survey (VR-36) and the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0). All data collection took place between 2010 and 2012.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Average age of the 5,574 participating Veterans (2,102 Vietnam theater and 3,472 non-theater) was 61.0 years. Veterans with PTSD had poorer health functioning across all domains of VR-36 and increased disability for all subscales of WHODAS 2.0 (all p < .001) compared with Veterans without PTSD. Veterans with PTSD were in poorer overall health on the VR-36 physical composite summary (PCS) (effect size = 0.31 in theater and 0.47 in non-theater Veterans; p < .001 for both) and mental composite summary (MCS) (effect size = 0.99 in theater and 0.78 in non-theater Veterans; p < .001 for both) and had increased disability on the WHODAS 2.0 summary score (effect size = 1.02 in theater and 0.96 in non-theater Veterans; p < .001 for both). Combat exposure, independent of PTSD status, was associated with lower PCS and MCS scores and increased disability (all p < .05, for trend). Within-pair analyses in twins discordant for PTSD produced consistent findings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vietnam-era Veterans with PTSD have diminished functioning and increased disability. The poor functional status of aging combat-exposed Veterans is of particular concern.
authors: Seattle Epidemiologic Research and Information Center (S-152-E), VA Puget Sound Health Care System, 1600 South Columbian Way, Seattle, WA, 98108, USA, jack.goldberg@va.gov.
authors: Jack
authors: J
authors: Goldberg
authors: Kathryn M
authors: KM
authors: Magruder
authors: Christopher W
authors: CW
authors: Forsberg
authors: Lewis E
authors: LE
authors: Kazis
authors: T Bedirhan
authors: TB
authors: Ustün
authors: Matthew J
authors: MJ
authors: Friedman
authors: Brett T
authors: BT
authors: Litz
authors: Viola
authors: V
authors: Vaccarino
authors: Patrick J
authors: PJ
authors: Heagerty
authors: Theresa C
authors: TC
authors: Gleason
authors: Grant D
authors: GD
authors: Huang
authors: Nicholas L
authors: NL
authors: Smith
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003130:Combat Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004200:Diseases in Twins / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D064702:International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health; D007406:Interview, Psychological / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012042:Registries; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D047829:Vietnam Conflict