Ofir Levi1, Eyal Fruchter2, Mark Weiser3, Daniel S Pine4, Yitshak Kreiss5, Yair Bar-Haim6. 1. Division of Mental Health (retired), Medical Corps, Israel Defense Forces, Israel Social Work Department, Ruppin Academic Center, Emek Hefer, Israel Bob Shapell School of Social Work, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. 2. Division of Mental Health (retired), Medical Corps, Israel Defense Forces, Israel. 3. Department of Psychiatry, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. 4. National Institutes of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA. 5. Surgeon General (retired), Medical Corps, Israeli Defense Forces Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel. 6. School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: To determine the long-term prevalence of combat-related treatment seeking for PTSD in Israel Defense Force (IDF) veterans deployed to war. METHODS: A seven-year surveillance records-based study determined the prevalence of treatment seeking and DSM-IV-TR diagnosis among treatment seeking IDF veterans in relation to the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah War. The whereabouts and combat exposure of veterans during the war was determined based on the IDF's Operations Directorate records. RESULTS: Overall prevalence of psychological/psychiatric treatment seeking was 1.32%, and was significantly higher in soldiers deployed to high combat-exposure zones (2.19%), relative to low combat-exposure zones (0.24%), OR=9.20, CI=6.68-12.66, p<0.001. Treatment seeking did not differ between soldiers deployed in low combatexposure zones and soldiers deployed elsewhere than the war area (0.26%), OR=0.90, CI=0.65-1.24, p=0.45: 42% of care-seeking contacts occurred within the 3.5 months of the war's end. An additional 27.9% of all contacts occurred during the ensuing year, and decreased drastically in subsequent years. PTSD was more prevalent among treatment-seeking veterans deployed in high combatexposure zones relative to veterans who were deployed in low exposure zones or elsewhere. CONCLUSIONS: Based on previous reports on postcombat PTSD prevalence using stratified samples, there appears to be a service-gap of anywhere between 3-11% between treatment seeking by IDF veterans following war deployment and the actual prevalence of PTSD and related symptoms in this soldier population. As in prior research, treatment seeking and PTSD strongly related to level of combat exposure.
BACKGROUND: To determine the long-term prevalence of combat-related treatment seeking for PTSD in Israel Defense Force (IDF) veterans deployed to war. METHODS: A seven-year surveillance records-based study determined the prevalence of treatment seeking and DSM-IV-TR diagnosis among treatment seeking IDF veterans in relation to the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah War. The whereabouts and combat exposure of veterans during the war was determined based on the IDF's Operations Directorate records. RESULTS: Overall prevalence of psychological/psychiatric treatment seeking was 1.32%, and was significantly higher in soldiers deployed to high combat-exposure zones (2.19%), relative to low combat-exposure zones (0.24%), OR=9.20, CI=6.68-12.66, p<0.001. Treatment seeking did not differ between soldiers deployed in low combatexposure zones and soldiers deployed elsewhere than the war area (0.26%), OR=0.90, CI=0.65-1.24, p=0.45: 42% of care-seeking contacts occurred within the 3.5 months of the war's end. An additional 27.9% of all contacts occurred during the ensuing year, and decreased drastically in subsequent years. PTSD was more prevalent among treatment-seeking veterans deployed in high combatexposure zones relative to veterans who were deployed in low exposure zones or elsewhere. CONCLUSIONS: Based on previous reports on postcombat PTSD prevalence using stratified samples, there appears to be a service-gap of anywhere between 3-11% between treatment seeking by IDF veterans following war deployment and the actual prevalence of PTSD and related symptoms in this soldier population. As in prior research, treatment seeking and PTSD strongly related to level of combat exposure.
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