Psychosocial and Health Correlates of Types of Traumatic Event Exposures among U.S. Military Personnel

The prevalence of lifetime exposure to combat or violence, natural disaster, or major accident involving injuries or fatalities was examined in two population-based samples of active-duty U.S. military personnel. The psychosocial and health effects of types of exposure (witness only, victim/survivor, relief worker), gender differences, and social support were also evaluated. The lifetime exposure to one or more traumatic events was 65 percent; the most prevalent trauma for men was witnessing a major accident, and for women, witnessing a natural disaster. In multivariate analyses, victims of any traumatic event were at twice the risk of having two or more physical and mental health problems than nonexposed controls; male witnesses had the highest risk for current.