Lifetime psychiatric comorbidity rate in Israeli non-help-seeking patients with combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder

• Published in: Journal of affective disorders Vol. 57; no. 1; pp. 185 - 188
• Main Authors: Spivak, Baruch, Segal, Michael, Laufer, Neil, Mester, Roberto, Weizman, Abraham
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 2000; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Alcoholism; Anxiety disorders. Neuroses; Biological and medical sciences; Combat Disorders - complications; Combat Disorders - diagnosis; Combat Disorders - epidemiology; Combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder; Comorbidity; Depression; Drug dependence; Humans; Israel - epidemiology; Male; Medical sciences; Mental Disorders - complications; Mental Disorders - diagnosis; Mental Disorders - epidemiology; Patient Acceptance of Health Care; Post-traumatic stress disorder; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - complications; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - diagnosis; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - epidemiology; Tropical medicine; Asia; Israel; Depression; Drug dependence; Alcoholism; Combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder; Mood disorder; Social environment; Human; Help seeking; Drug addiction; Posttraumatic syndrome; Prevalence; Illicit drug; Anxiety disorder; Male; Stress; Alcoholic beverage; Concomitant disease; Dependence; Mental disorder; Veteran
• ISSN: 0165-0327; 1573-2517
• DOI: 10.1016/S0165-0327(99)00090-7

Background: Most of the data on lifetime psychiatric comorbidity in combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (CR-PTSD) were collected in help-seeking patients. Methods: In the present study we used the Schedule for Affective Disorder and Schizophrenia-Lifetime Version to examine a relatively large sample ( n=80) of Israeli non-help-seeking CR-PTSD patients. The diagnosis of PTSD was based on the DSM-III-R criteria. Results: We found a low rate of lifetime psychiatric comorbidity, especially drug dependence (2.25%), alcoholism (2.25%) and major depressive disorders (5%). Conclusion: It seems that in contrast to help-seeking CR-PTSD, non-help-seeking CR-PTSD is associated with a low frequency of comorbid psychiatric disorders. Limitation: Only non-help seeking CR-PTSD patients who agreed to participate in the study were included in this investigation. Clinical relevance: The detection and diagnosis of CR-PTSD comorbidity is important for establishing appropriate psychotherapeutic and pharmacological treatment.