Co-twin control study of relationships among combat exposure, combat-related PTSD, and other mental disorders

The well‐documented association between combat‐related PTSD (C‐PTSD) and other mental disorders may be an artifact of shared familial vulnerability. This study uses a co‐twin control design to examine whether the association between C‐PTSD and other mental disorders persists after adjusting for shar...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of traumatic stress 2003-10, Vol.16 (5), p.433-438
Main Authors: Koenen, Karestan C., Lyons, Michael J., Goldberg, Jack, Simpson, John, Williams, Wesley M., Toomey, Rosemary, Eisen, Seth A., True, William, Tsuang, Ming T.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
Alcohol Drinking
Anxiety disorders. Neuroses
Biological and medical sciences
combat exposure
Comorbidity
Humans
Male
Marijuana Abuse
Medical sciences
Mental Disorders - etiology
Mental Disorders - psychology
Middle Aged
Military Personnel - psychology
Odds Ratio
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
PTSD
Risk Factors
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - etiology
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - psychology
twins
Warfare
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The well‐documented association between combat‐related PTSD (C‐PTSD) and other mental disorders may be an artifact of shared familial vulnerability. This study uses a co‐twin control design to examine whether the association between C‐PTSD and other mental disorders persists after adjusting for shared familial vulnerability. Data were from male monozygotic‐twin pairs in the Vietnam Era Twin Registry. Logistic regression analyses demonstrated that combat exposure, adjusted for C‐PTSD, was significantly associated with increased risk for alcohol and cannabis dependence and that C‐PTSD mediated the association between combat exposure and both major depression and tobacco dependence. We conclude C‐PTSD comorbidity persists after controlling for shared vulnerability. Combat exposure is directly and indirectly, through C‐PTSD, associated with increased risk for other mental disorders.
ISSN:0894-9867
1573-6598
DOI:10.1023/A:1025786925483