These findings suggest that using a continuous PTSD trajectory measure provides a somewhat more sensitive estimation of PTSD trajectories. More specifically, taking into consideration symptom intensity and fluctuation over time may provide a more comprehensive picture of the survivors' distress.

Literature has suggested that auditory hallucinations might be prevalent in the general population and could be linked to the experience of trauma. This prospective study examines the prevalence of auditory hallucinations in trauma survivors and its association with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, over time. Former prisoners of war (ex-POWs) from the 1973 Yom Kippur War (n = 99) with and without PTSD and comparable veterans (n = 103) were assessed twice, in 1991 (T1) and 2003 (T2) in regard to auditory hallucinations and PTSD symptoms. Findings indicated that ex-POWs who suffered from PTSD reported higher levels of auditory hallucinations at T2 as well as increased hallucinations over time, compared to ex-POWs without PTSD and combatants who did not endure captivity. The relation between PTSD and auditory hallucinations was unidirectional, so that the PTSD overall score at T1 predicted an increase in auditory hallucinations between T1 and T2, but not vice versa. Assessing the role of PTSD clusters in predicting hallucinations revealed that intrusion symptoms had a unique contribution, compared to avoidance and hyperarousal symptoms. The findings suggest that auditory hallucinations might be a consequence of the posttraumatic reaction among veterans.

No abstract

This study aimed to examine the role of combat stress reaction (CSR) in predicting all-cause mortality over a 33-year period following the end of the war. Method: Two groups of male veterans from the 1982 Lebanon War participated in this study in 1983 (T1) and 2016 (T2): the CSR group (n ϭ 375) and a matched comparison group (n ϭ 305) consisting of combatants who had participated in combat in the same units as the CSR group but were not identified as having CSR. Participants were assessed for posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and depressive symptoms in T1 and mortality in T2. Results: The distribution of mortality rates was significantly different between the 2 groups and higher among the CSR group (n ϭ 32, 8.5%) as compared to the comparison group (n ϭ 12, 3.9%; 2 ϭ 5.89, p ϭ .01). Both posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and depressive symptoms were controlled for because they have been shown to be risk factors for all-cause mortality. The mortality curve of the CSR group increased steeply around the age of 40 years, whereas in the comparison group, the increase was less substantial. Conclusions: CSR was found to be a significant predictor of all-cause mortality. The risk for mortality was higher and earlier among the CSR group compared with the comparison group. The findings of this study call attention to the importance of immediately identifying CSR to better care for the individual and minimize long-term negative effects.

Our results showed captivity to be a unique and powerful traumatic experience, leading to PTSD and long-lasting and enduring neuropsychological implications. These findings highlight the importance of viewing ex-POWs, in particular those suffering from chronic PTSD, especially as they age, as a high-risk population for cognitive disorders. This requires the appropriate diagnosis and cognitive therapy as a way to preserve cognitive abilities among this population.