This study examined the contribution of premilitary, military, and
postmilitary risk factors to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other
postwar diagnoses in a sample of Vietnam veterans. PTSD was explained
primarily by war stressors, including threat to life and exposure to
grotesque death, but premilitary and postmilitary factors also contributed
to the likelihood of a current diagnosis of PTSD. Panic disorder was also
highly predicted by war experiences, whereas prewar functioning played a
stronger role in several non-PTSD diagnoses. The study supported the notion
that PTSD is specifically linked to intense stressors. Mechanisms for
interactions among risk factors are discussed.Abstract Teaser