Am J Psychiatry 1976; 133:786-790
Copyright © 1976 by American Psychiatric Association
Psychiatric effects of prolonged Asian captivity: a two-year follow-up
RC Hall and PT Malone
The authors have been following a group of 6 prisoners of war and their
families since the men were returned from North Viet Nam. They found that
most of the men experiences cognitive, social, work, emotional, and family
difficulties during the first two years after their return. However, most
of these problems were resolved after two years, and there was no evidence
of the concentration camp syndrome, homicidal or suicidal behavior, violent
physical aggression, impotence, fugue states, psychosomatic disorders, or
major psychiatric illnesses in any of the men. On the basis of their
findings, the authors make recommendations for future reentry programs.
