War stress and late-life mortality in World War II male civilian resistance veterans

Psychol Rep. 2011 Apr;108(2):437-48. doi: 10.2466/02.10.16.PR0.108.2.437-448.

Abstract

The mental and physical health of 146 Dutch males exposed to severe war stress during their young adulthood were examined in 1986-1987 when they were at ages 61 to 66 years. The veterans' data were compared with a randomly selected population-based sample of same-aged males. In 2005, 70% of the war stress veterans had died, and only 35% of the comparison group. The baseline quality of life was significantly poorer in the war stress veterans than in the comparison group. Baseline variables explained 42% of the increased risk of mortality among war stress veterans. Smoking was the largest single contributor to mortality.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Chronic Disease
  • Combat Disorders / mortality*
  • Combat Disorders / psychology*
  • Concentration Camps
  • Humans
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Netherlands
  • Quality of Life / psychology
  • Reference Values
  • Risk Assessment / statistics & numerical data
  • Smoking / adverse effects
  • Smoking / mortality
  • Smoking / psychology
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / mortality*
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / psychology*
  • Survival Analysis
  • Survivors / psychology
  • Survivors / statistics & numerical data
  • Veterans / psychology*
  • Veterans / statistics & numerical data*
  • World War II*