PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “PRISONERS OF WAR”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2006

Verbal and physical aggression in World War II former prisoners of war: role of posttraumatic stress disorder and depression.

This study examined the relationship among posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and intimate partner relationship aggression in a community sample of World War II (WWII) male military former prisoners of war (POWs). Sixty percent of these POWs reported verbal aggression in their marriages, and 12% endorsed physical aggression. Both verbal and physical aggression were significantly correlated to the severity of captivity trauma and to PTSD symptoms. Posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms significantly mediated the relationship between severity of trauma and both verbal and physical aggression. Depression was a significant moderator of the relationship between PTSD and both physical and verbal aggression. Theoretical and clinical implications are suggested.

Aggression↗
PubMed2002

Psychiatry in the Korean War: perils, PIES, and prisoners of war.

In the initial months of the Korean War, very high numbers of psychological casualties occurred among American troops, 250 per 1,000 per annum. Initially, these men were evacuated to Japan or the United States, and very few of them were returned to duty. Then the principles of early and far-forward treatment, learned in the previous world wars, were reinstituted. Up to 80% of neuropsychiatric casualties were returned to duty. During and after the war, the prisoners of war were believed to have been "brainwashed," have "give-it-upitis," and exhibit apathy and depression. Mistakenly believed to be signs of moral decay, the psychiatric symptoms during and after release were probably a result of extended inhumane treatment and vitamin deficiencies.

History, 20th Century↗
PubMed1990

The prisoner of war.

The prisoner of war (POW) experience is greatly influenced by the environmental and sociocultural factors of the particular captivity setting. Among the most important coping mechanisms are communication, maintenance of military social structure, and personality flexibility. Following repatriation some former POWs develop psychiatric disorders, most commonly 1) medico-psychiatric disorders due to illness, physical trauma, or nutritional deficit, 2) post-traumatic stress disorder, 3) adjustment disorder, 4) depression, 5) anxiety disorders, 6) substance use disorders, and 7) family problems. The severity of captivity and the presence or absence of social supports during and after the POW experience play major roles in the recovery or illness that may occur after repatriation.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1990

Trauma-induced weight loss and cognitive deficits among former prisoners of war.

Former prisoners of war (POWs) from the Korean Conflict and WWII reporting confinement weight losses of greater than 35% (n = 60) and less than or equal to 35% (n = 113) and non-POW combat veterans (n = 50) were compared on WAIS-R and Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS) Logical Memory indices. High weight-loss POWs performed more poorly than combat veterans on Performance IQ, Arithmetic, Similarities, and Picture Completion subtests, Witkin-Goodenough Attention-Concentration Factor, and WMS Immediate and Delayed Recall and more poorly than low weight-loss POWs on Arithmetic, Attention-Concentration Factor, and the WMS immediate memory measure. Low weight-loss POWs and combat veterans differed only on WMS immediate memory. Findings support the Thygesen, Hermann, and Willanger (1970) hypothesis that severity of POW confinement stress reflected by trauma-induced weight loss is predictive of long-term compromise in cognitive performance.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Posttraumatic stress disorder and current relationship functioning among World War II ex-prisoners of war.

This study examined the association of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with the quality of intimate relationships among present-day male World War II ex-prisoners of war (POWs). Ex-POWs had considerable marital stability; those with PTSD were no less likely to be in an intimate relationship. Ex-POWs in an intimate relationship who had PTSD (N=125 ) were compared with ex-POWs in a relationship who did not have PTSD (N=206). Marital functioning was within a range expected for persons without traumatic exposure. Yet, over 30% of those with PTSD reported relationship problems compared with only 11% of those without PTSD. Ex-POWs with PTSD reported poorer adjustment and communication with their partners and more difficulties with intimacy. Emotional numbing was significantly associated with relationship difficulties independent of other symptom complexes and severity of PTSD. Implications for clinical practice are discussed.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

Psychopathology and psychiatric diagnoses of World War II Pacific theater prisoner of war survivors and combat veterans.

OBJECTIVE: This study assessed current and long-term psychological and psychiatric sequelae of war trauma in World War II Pacific theater combat veterans, some of whom had been Japanese prisoners of war (POWs). METHOD: A group of 36 POW survivors and a group of 29 combat veterans, all of whom had seen fierce fighting and heavy unit casualties, were compared approximately 40 years later on psychological instruments assessing psychopathology constructs, negative mood states, and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and on the computer-administered National Institute of Mental Health Diagnostic Interview Schedule. RESULTS: Although similar in personal backgrounds and in having suffered catastrophic war trauma, the two groups differed in the severity and type of psychiatric symptoms and in the occurrence of psychiatric disorders. Anxiety and depressive disorders were common in both groups, but there were differences in the frequency of PTSD diagnoses. Among the POW survivors, 70% fulfilled the criteria for a current diagnosis and 78% for a lifetime diagnosis of PTSD, compared to 18% and 29%, respectively, of the combat veterans. CONCLUSIONS: The findings point to the persistent nature of symptoms thought to be residuals of extraordinary stress and the relation between severity of psychiatric sequelae and characteristics of the stressors.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Postwar mortality among Australian World War II prisoners of the Japanese.

The impact of detention as a prisoner of war on postwar survival and disease-specific mortality was examined in Australian veterans of World War II. A random sample of 908 ex-prisoners and 797 other veterans of the same theatre of war, all of whom had returned to Australia alive, was traced over the 40 years since the war. The date and cause of death were recorded for those who were found to have died. By means of the subject-years method, the mortality of the prisoners of war was compared with that of the non-prisoners of war while the analysis controlled for the length of follow-up and the subject's age at the close of the war. The prisoners of war showed a higher over-all mortality rate than did the non-prisoners of war. This difference was pronounced in the period from five to 14 years after the war but diminished subsequently. There also was an indication that this effect varied with the subject's age at the end of the war: prisoners of war who were aged 25-29 years at that time had the highest mortality differential from non-prisoners of war, followed by prisoners of war who were aged 30-34 years. However, log-linear modelling, which controlled for age and the follow-up period, did not suggest that these mortality differences could be attributed to particular causes of death.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Coping and recovery styles in the Vietnam era prisoner of war.

Of the nearly 600 Vietnam War American prisoners of war (POWs), 332 were United States Air Force flyers who had suffered maltreatment, confinement, and boredom for months to years. We examined four coping styles of USAF POWs related to successful/unsuccessful coping and resistance stance during captivity and cognitive integration of the prisoner experience after repatriation. Findings indicate that no coping style is clearly associated with an increased risk of postrepatriation psychiatric morbidity. Postrepatriation MMPI scales indicate personality differences between individuals in the various coping groups.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1991

Prevalence of somatic and psychiatric disorders among former prisoners of war.

American former prisoners of war (POWs) are an aging group who seek health care with increasing frequency. To examine the prevalence of long-term physical and emotional consequences of captivity in this population, the authors analyzed medical and psychiatric examination data for 426 former POWs. Detailed psychiatric diagnostic criteria were used to assess the POWs' mental health. Compared with general population groups, POWs had moderately elevated lifetime prevalence rates of depressive disorders and greatly elevated rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), although their rates of hypertension, diabetes, myocardial infarction, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and alcoholism were not elevated. POWs who lost more than 35 percent of their body weight during captivity had higher rates of anxiety disorder, depressive disorders, PTSD, and schizophrenia, compared with other POWs.

Alcoholism↗
PubMed1984

Chronic strongyloidiasis in World War II Far East ex-prisoners of war.

Fifty-two of 142 (37%) American ex-prisoners of war that worked on the Burma-Thailand Railroad during World War II were found to have previously unrecognized symptomatic Strongyloides stercoralis infections. A characteristic urticarial creeping skin eruption on the abdomen, buttocks and thighs occurred in 92%. Infection was also associated with pruritus ani, abdominal pain, indigestion, heartburn, and diarrhea. Demonstration of larvae in ether-formalin stool concentrates in these chronic low density infections required 5 hours of microscopy per case to detect 90% of positive cases. Therapy with thiabendazole resulted in a clinical cure in 93% and a microscopic cure in 100%; but was associated with frequent side effects. Chronic strongyloidiasis should be considered in veterans of Far East conflicts and in others with intimate soil contact in rural Strongyloides stercoralis-endemic areas who present with recurrent creeping skin eruption, abdominal pain, and eosinophilia.

Aged↗