Combat exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder among portuguese special operation forces deployed in afghanistan

Carlos Osório; Neil Greenberg; Norman Jones; Laura Goodwin; Mohammed Fertout; Ângela Maia

doi:10.1037/h0094758

Combat exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder among portuguese special operation forces deployed in afghanistan

Carlos Osório^*, Neil Greenberg, Norman Jones, Laura Goodwin, Mohammed Fertout, Ângela Maia

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

10 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Several combat- and noncombat-related stressors have been reported in Afghanistan. There is now accumulating evidence that suggests that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is linked to combat experiences; however, little is known about how these exposures might affect elite combat troops. This research aims to evaluate the prevalence of combat and noncombat related stressors, as well as PTSD in Portuguese Special Forces deployed in Afghanistan. Overall, participants reported high levels of exposure to combat and adverse physical conditions but also high levels of within-unit comradeship. The analysis also exposed that 2.7% of the participants reported symptoms compatible with PTSD and 8.8% with compatible partial PTSD. When the authors conducted a binary logistic regression, only the higher levels of combat exposure explained the symptoms of PTSD.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	70-81
Number of pages	12
Journal	MILITARY PSYCHOLOGY
Volume	25
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1037/h0094758
Publication status	Published - 2013

Keywords

Afghanistan
Combat
Portuguese army
PTSD
Special Operation forces

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10.1037/h0094758

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abstract = "Several combat- and noncombat-related stressors have been reported in Afghanistan. There is now accumulating evidence that suggests that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is linked to combat experiences; however, little is known about how these exposures might affect elite combat troops. This research aims to evaluate the prevalence of combat and noncombat related stressors, as well as PTSD in Portuguese Special Forces deployed in Afghanistan. Overall, participants reported high levels of exposure to combat and adverse physical conditions but also high levels of within-unit comradeship. The analysis also exposed that 2.7% of the participants reported symptoms compatible with PTSD and 8.8% with compatible partial PTSD. When the authors conducted a binary logistic regression, only the higher levels of combat exposure explained the symptoms of PTSD.",

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AU - Maia, Ângela

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AB - Several combat- and noncombat-related stressors have been reported in Afghanistan. There is now accumulating evidence that suggests that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is linked to combat experiences; however, little is known about how these exposures might affect elite combat troops. This research aims to evaluate the prevalence of combat and noncombat related stressors, as well as PTSD in Portuguese Special Forces deployed in Afghanistan. Overall, participants reported high levels of exposure to combat and adverse physical conditions but also high levels of within-unit comradeship. The analysis also exposed that 2.7% of the participants reported symptoms compatible with PTSD and 8.8% with compatible partial PTSD. When the authors conducted a binary logistic regression, only the higher levels of combat exposure explained the symptoms of PTSD.

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Combat exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder among portuguese special operation forces deployed in afghanistan

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