Observations of combat-related stress disorders appear as early as the writings of Homer in descriptions of returning Trojan war veterans. During the Civil War, PTSD was characterized as soldier's heart, in World War I it was shell shock, in World War II it was battle fatigue and during the Vietnam War it was Vietnam Syndrome. With the 1980 inclusion of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in the "American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual," PTSD has been officially designated as one of the anxiety disorders. Key features of PTSD include re-experiencing painful memories, numbing of positive feelings, avoiding reminders and being alert and on guard, even in safe situations.
The lifetime risk for PTSD in the general American population has been estimated to be 7.8 percent (1). The best estimate of the rates of PTSD in combat has been derived from the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study (NVVRS) (2,3). The NVVRS found that 20 percent of those who served in the Vietnam War developed deployment-related PTSD, with those suffering from PTSD having increased rates of depression, alcohol and drug abuse, family adjustment problems and interpersonal violence. Children of Vietnam veterans with PTSD had higher levels of behavioral and emotional problems. Greater combat exposure, including multiple tours of duty and greater exposure to personal life threat and killing predicted greater risk of combat related PTSD.
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