Open AccessMental and physical health status in a community sample of New Zealand Vietnam War veterans
Author(s) -
Vincent Carol,
Chamberlain Kerry,
Long Nigel
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
australian journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.946
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1753-6405
pISSN - 1035-7319
DOI - 10.1111/j.1753-6405.1994.tb00196.x
Subject(s) - mental health , psychological distress , physical health , vietnam war , service member , medicine , sample (material) , psychiatry , gerontology , distress , psychology , family medicine , clinical psychology , military personnel , geography , chromatography , chemistry , archaeology
Abstract: The data presented in this paper were obtained by a survey involving 573 New Zealand Vietnam veterans. It represents the first comprehensive report on the mental and physical health of a community sample of these ex‐service personnel. Although most of these veterans were reasonably healthy for their age, a small proportion was substantially worse off than their Vietnam veteran peers, reporting relatively low levels of psychological wellbeing, relatively high levels of psychological distress and post‐traumatic stress disorder, a greater number and severity of physical health symptoms, lower self‐rated health status, and making more frequent contacts with health care providers.