TY - JOUR
T1 - The relations between posttraumatic stress disorder and persistent dissociation among ex-prisoners of war
T2 - A longitudinal study
AU - Zerach, Gadi
AU - Greene, Talya
AU - Ginzburg, Karni
AU - Solomon, Zahava
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - To date, there are no empirical studies assessing the impact of war captivity on persistent dissociation (PD) and the longitudinal relations between captivity stressors, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and PD. The current study included two groups of male Israeli veterans from the 1973 Yom Kippur War: ex-prisoners of war (ex-POWs) and comparable veterans who were not taken captive. Both groups were assessed via self-report measures at three time points: T1 18 (1991), T2 30 (2003), and T3 35 (2008) years after the war. Results show that ex-POWs with PTSD reported higher levels of PD compared with ex-POWs and comparison non-POW veterans without PTSD at T3. Furthermore, PTSD symptoms at T1, T2, and T3 mediated the association between captivity and PD at T3. Loss of emotional control and detachment reactions to captivity, as well as posttraumatic intrusion symptoms, were associated with PD. Theoretical and clinical implications of these results are discussed.
AB - To date, there are no empirical studies assessing the impact of war captivity on persistent dissociation (PD) and the longitudinal relations between captivity stressors, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and PD. The current study included two groups of male Israeli veterans from the 1973 Yom Kippur War: ex-prisoners of war (ex-POWs) and comparable veterans who were not taken captive. Both groups were assessed via self-report measures at three time points: T1 18 (1991), T2 30 (2003), and T3 35 (2008) years after the war. Results show that ex-POWs with PTSD reported higher levels of PD compared with ex-POWs and comparison non-POW veterans without PTSD at T3. Furthermore, PTSD symptoms at T1, T2, and T3 mediated the association between captivity and PD at T3. Loss of emotional control and detachment reactions to captivity, as well as posttraumatic intrusion symptoms, were associated with PD. Theoretical and clinical implications of these results are discussed.
KW - Dissociative tendencies
KW - Mental defeat
KW - Persistent dissociation
KW - Posttraumatic stress disorder
KW - Prisoners of war
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84899005996&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1037/a0031599
DO - 10.1037/a0031599
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AN - SCOPUS:84899005996
SN - 1942-9681
VL - 6
SP - 99
EP - 108
JO - Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy
JF - Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy
IS - 2
ER -