HEALTH-STATUS, SOMATIZATION, AND SEVERITY OF POSTTRAUMATIC-STRESS-DISORDER IN VIETNAM COMBAT VETERANS WITH POSTTRAUMATIC-STRESS-DISORDER

Objective: A two-part study was conducted to examine the health status of Vietnam veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In par t 1, veterans with and without PTSD were compared on health behaviors and on self-reported and physician-rated health problems. Consistency of self-report with physician rating for health problems across the tw o groups was compared. In part 2, the association between health statu s and PTSD symptom severity, depression, somatization, and health beha viors in PTSD patients was evaluated. Method: In part 1, 276 combat ve terans (225 with PTSD and 51 without PTSD) provided health status info rmation, and medical records were reviewed. In part 2, 225 PTSD patien ts completed standardized PTSD severity, somatization, and depression measures. Results: When analyses controlled for age, socioeconomic sta tus, minority status, combat exposure, alcohol use, and pack-year hist ory, veterans with PTSD reported and were rated as having a greater nu mber of health problems than veterans without PTSD. Agreement between self-report and physician ratings for both groups ranged from low to m oderate. Level of agreement between patient and physician was similar across groups. In the analysis of veterans with PTSD, somatization and PTSD symptom severity were significantly related to self-report of he alth problems, whereas only PTSD symptom severity was related to physi cian-rated health. Pack-year history was significantly related to self -reported health status in both groups. Conclusions: The presence and severity of PTSD in veterans were associated with greater physical hea lth problems and conditions. Psychological variables (e.g., PTSD statu s, PTSD severity, somatization) and a behavioral variable (pack-year h istory) were related to health status.