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Forty-year follow-up of United States prisoners of war

Published Online:https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.143.11.1443

The authors performed structured psychiatric examinations of 188 former prisoners of war (POWs). Sixty-seven percent had had posttraumatic stress disorder. Of those affected, 29% had fully recovered, 39% still reported mild symptoms, 24% had improved but had moderate residual symptoms, and 8% had had no recovery or had deteriorated. Presence of posttraumatic stress disorder was not significantly correlated with other mental disorders. Delayed onset was not seen. The findings confirm the DSM-III concept of and criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder.

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