PREVALENCE AND COURSE OF POSTTRAUMATIC-STRESS-DISORDER IN DUTCH VETERANS OF THE CIVILIAN RESISTANCE DURING WORLD-WAR-II - AN OVERVIEW

This study concerns the prevalence of current and lifetime Posttraumat ic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in various groups of officially recognized V eterans of the Dutch civilian Resistance against the Nazi occupation d uring World War II. In total, 1046 Resistance veterans living in The N etherlands and 52 who emmigrated to the United States after the war we re examined. Between four and five decades after the end of WW II, bet ween 25 and 50% were suffering from current PTSD. The life-time preval ence is estimated to be substantially higher. The course of PTSD prove d highly variable. There had often been a delay of several decades bet ween the end of the mar and reoccurrence or first onset of posttraumat ic symptoms. The prevalence of PTSD in Resistance veterans who emigrat ed to the United States was hardly different from that of the veterans still living in The Netherlands.