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01-04-2019 | Brief Report

Long-Term Effects of Chemical Warfare on Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Depression, and Chronic Medical Conditions in Veterans

Authors: Hamideh Safi-Aghdam, Mehrzad Shafie, Alireza Khoshdel, Ehsan Moazen-Zadeh, Farhad Avakh, Arash Rahmani

Published in: Community Mental Health Journal | Issue 3/2019

Abstract

We investigated the association between exposure to chemical warfare and chronic mental/physical conditions. This was a secondary analysis of data from a case–control study on Iranian male veterans. Participants with neuropsychiatric disorders other than depressive/anxiety disorders, anatomical defects, or malignancies were excluded. Compared to non-exposed veterans, exposed veterans demonstrated significantly higher odds of PTSD [OR (95% CI) = 5.23 (1.98–13.85)], hypertension [OR (95% CI) = 5.57 (1.68–18.48)], coronary heart disease [OR (95% CI) = 6.8 (1.62–28.49)], and diabetes [OR (95% CI) = 3.88 (1.35–11.16)], and marginally higher odds of moderate to severe depressive symptoms [OR (95% CI) = 2.21 (0.93–5.28)]. This study provides preliminary evidence on association of exposure to chemical warfare with long-term mental disorders as well as chronic medical conditions.

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Title: Long-Term Effects of Chemical Warfare on Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Depression, and Chronic Medical Conditions in Veterans
Authors: Hamideh Safi-Aghdam
Mehrzad Shafie
Alireza Khoshdel
Ehsan Moazen-Zadeh
Farhad Avakh
Arash Rahmani
Publication date: 01-04-2019
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: Community Mental Health Journal / Issue 3/2019
Print ISSN: 0010-3853
Electronic ISSN: 1573-2789
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-018-0277-1

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