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Prevalence of a Positive Screen for PTSD Among OEF/OIF and OEF/OIF‐Era Veterans in a Large Population‐Based Cohort
Author(s) -
Dursa Erin K.,
Reinhard Matthew J.,
Barth Shan K.,
Schneiderman Aaron I.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of traumatic stress
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.259
H-Index - 134
eISSN - 1573-6598
pISSN - 0894-9867
DOI - 10.1002/jts.21956
Subject(s) - veterans affairs , medicine , active duty , population , psychiatry , military personnel , posttraumatic stress , cohort , public health , cohort study , iraq war , environmental health , nursing , political science , law
Multiple studies have reported the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) veterans; however, these studies have been limited to populations who use the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for health care, specialty clinic populations, or veterans who deployed. The 3 aims of this study were to report weighted prevalence estimates of a positive screen for PTSD among OEF/OIF and nondeployed veterans, demographic subgroups, and VA health care system users and nonusers. The study analyzed data from the National Health Study for a New Generation of U.S. Veterans, a large population‐based cohort of OEF/OIF and OEF/OIF‐era veterans. The overall weighted prevalence of a positive screen for PTSD in the study population was 13.5%: 15.8% among OEF/OIF veterans and 10.9% in nondeployed veterans. Among OEF/OIF veterans, there was increased risk of a positive screen for PTSD among VA health care users ( OR = 2.71), African Americans ( OR = 1.61), those who served in the Army ( OR = 2.67), and those on active duty ( OR = 1.69). The same trend with decreased magnitude was observed in nondeployed veterans. PTSD is a significant public health problem in OEF/OIF‐era veterans, and should not be considered an outcome solely related to deployment.