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American Journal of Epidemiology Vol. 128, No. 1: 85-92
Copyright © 1988 by The Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health

research-article

STRESS SYMPTOMATOLOGY AMONG VIETNAM VETERANS

ANALYSIS OF THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION SURVEY OF VETERANS II

WILLIAM R. TRUE1,2, JACK GOLDBERG3 and SETH A. EISEN4

1Psychiatry and Research Services (151A-JB), VA Medical Center St. Louis, MO 63125
2Center for Health Services Education and Research and the Department of Psychiatry, St. Louis University Medical Center St. Louis, MO
3University of Illinois, School of Public Health, and the VA Cooperative Studies Program Coordinating Center Hines, IL
4Medical and Research Services, VA Medical Center, and Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine St. Louis, MO

Reprint requests to Dr. True at this address

In 1979, the US Veterans Administration conducted a health survey of 11,230 veterans. The present analysis of these data focuses on the association between Vietnam service and combat experience with eight post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms among the 1,787 Vietnam era veterans who entered military service between 1965 and 1975. The advantages of this study are that it includes a large random sample selected from the total US population, had a high interview response rate (93%), and collected data prior to the recent public controversy surrounding the issue of the health effects of possible exposure of Vietnam veterans to Agent Orange. After adjustment for the potential confounding effects of military service and demographic factors, the level of combat exposure was significantly associated with all eight symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder in a dose response pattern. For seven of the eight symptoms, a twofold increase in the factor-adjusted prevalence odds ratio was observed when non-Vietnam service veterans were compared with Vietnam veterans who experienced the most intense combat experience. Being younger, less well educated, or nonwhite at the time of military service are factors which independently further increased the probability of stress symptoms.

stress disorders; post-traumatic; Vietnam; veterans


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