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The long-term implications of war captivity for mortality and health

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Abstract

The current study aims to (1) assess the long-term impact of war captivity on mortality and various health aspects and (2) evaluate the potential mediating role of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depressive symptoms. Israeli ex-prisoners of war (ex-POWs) (N = 154) and a matched control group of combat veterans (N = 161) were assessed on health conditions and self-rated health 18 years post-war (1991: T1). The whole population of ex-POWs, and the T1 sample of controls were then contacted 35 years after the war (2008: T2), and invited to participate in a second wave of measurement (ex-POWs: N = 171; controls: N = 116) Captivity was implicated in premature mortality, more health-related conditions and worse self-rated health. PTSD and depressive symptoms mediated the relationship between war captivity and self-rated health, and partially mediated the relationship between war captivity and health conditions, and these effects were amplified with age. Aging ex-POWs who develop psychiatric symptomatology should be considered a high-risk group entering a high-risk period in the life cycle. It is important to monitor ex-POWs and provide them with appropriate medical and psychological treatment as they age.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bob Shapell School of Social Work, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Zahava Solomon, Talya Greene & Yael Benyamini

  2. New School of Psychology, Interdisciplinary Center (IDC), Herzilya, Israel

    Tsachi Ein-Dor

  3. Department of Behavioral Sciences, Ariel University Center of Samaria, Ariel, Israel

    Gadi Zerach

  4. Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Avi Ohry

  5. Section of Rehabilitation Medicine, Reuth Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Avi Ohry

Authors
  1. Zahava Solomon
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  2. Talya Greene
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  3. Tsachi Ein-Dor
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  4. Gadi Zerach
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  5. Yael Benyamini
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  6. Avi Ohry
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Correspondence to Zahava Solomon.

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Talya Greene was supported by an Immigrating Scientist grant from the Israeli Ministry of Absorption.

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Solomon, Z., Greene, T., Ein-Dor, T. et al. The long-term implications of war captivity for mortality and health. J Behav Med 37, 849–859 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-013-9544-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-013-9544-3

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