Declining prevalence of psychiatric disorder in older former prisoners of war

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine change in the prevalence of psychiatric disorders over a decade late in the lives of ex-prisoners of war (POWs) and nonprisoner veterans of World War II. In 1982-83 we drew a random sample of POWs and non-POWs living in Sydney, Australia. They were interviewed by a psychiatrist at that time and again 9 years later. They also completed self-rating anxiety and depression scales. Anxiety disorders were the most prevalent and declined by half from 32.7% at the first interview to 16.8% 9 years later (p < .001) whereas the prevalence of depressive disorders fell by two-thirds from 26.9% to 8.7% (p < .001). In POWs the prevalence of both anxiety and depression declined more markedly than in non-POWs. Consistent changes also occurred in scores on the self-rating anxiety and depression scales. The psychological impact of these POWs' tragic wartime experience had at last begun to dim after nearly 50 years.