Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Vietnam Veterans

Abstract

The ingenious epidemiologic analysis of mortality rates among young men who were chosen by the draft lottery, compared with those who were not, that is reported in this issue¹ demonstrates the long-term excessive mortality of men who served in the military during the Vietnam War. The causes of death that were found to be increased in this population were suicide and motor-vehicle accidents — events that may reflect impaired psychosocial functioning. This confirmation of earlier reports of the impaired socioeconomic, psychosocial, and health status² of this group of men deserves serious consideration. The veterans of combat have been identified as . . .