Psychiatric casualties in the Pacific during World War II: servicemen hospitalised in a Brisbane mental hospital

Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in the files of Australian servicemen hospitalized in 1942-1952

OBJECTIVE

To investigate post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology in servicemen hospitalized 1942-1952.

METHOD

Hospital files of servicemen (n = 590) were studied and PTSD symptoms in groups, based on service experience, were compared.

RESULTS

Based on their hospital files, 19% of servicemen were classified as having partial PTSD. No full cases of PTSD were identified, due primarily to the small number of recorded avoidance symptoms and the limited information in relation to the stressor criterion. Prisoners of war had the highest reported avoidance and lowest intrusive symptoms compared with other combatants.

CONCLUSIONS

PTSD symptoms may have been common during and after World War II. At that time avoidance was not considered a symptom of disorder. Intrusive and arousal symptoms may be the core symptoms of PTSD and avoidance symptoms need to be reconsidered.

Follow up of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in Australian servicemen hospitalized in 1942-1952

OBJECTIVE

To follow up survivors of Australian services hospitalized in 1942-1952 and compare their reported symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with symptoms in their hospital files.

METHOD

Twelve survivors were interviewed and combatants completed the revised Impact of Event Scale.

RESULTS

Eight survivors had symptoms satisfying a diagnosis of PTSD at the time of the study. There was underreporting of most relevant symptoms in their hospital files.

CONCLUSIONS

PTSD symptoms were probably common during and after World War II. The findings have implications for the management of PTSD generally and the treatment of ageing WWII veterans in particular.