SYMPTOMS OF PTSD FOLLOWING RECOVERY OF WAR DEAD - 13-15-MONTH FOLLOW-UP

Objective: The authors explored whether individuals who participated I n the recovery of war dead were more likely to experience later sympto ms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than were individuals who w ere not involved in the recovery of war dead. Method: PTSD symptoms we re assessed by questionnaire in men and women who had or had not handl ed human remains during the Persian Gulf War: 116 melt and women who h ad and 118 who had not handled human remains participated in the study 3-5 months after returning from the war; 55 of the subjects who had a nd 56 of those who had not handled human remains participated in a fol low-up assessment 13-15 months after their return. Results: Subjects w ho had been involved in the recovery of war dead had significantly hig her symptom levels than comparison subjects at both time points. Concl usions: After more than 1 year, individuals who had handled human rema ins during wartime were at higher risk for PTSD symptoms than those wh o had not.