Influence of childhood adversity on health among male UK military personnel
- 1 December 2007
- journal article
- Published by Royal College of Psychiatrists in The British Journal of Psychiatry
- Vol. 191 (6), 506-511
- https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.107.039818
Abstract
Background: Exposure to childhood adversity may explain why only a minority of combatants exposed to trauma develop psychological problems.Aims: To examine the association between self-reported childhood vulnerability and later health outcomes in a large randomly selected male military cohort.Method: Data are derived from the first stage of a cohort study comparing Iraq veterans and non-deployed UK military personnel. We describe data collected by questionnaire from males in the regular UK armed forces (n=7937).Results: Pre-enlistment vulnerability is associated with being single, of lower rank, having low educational attainment and serving in the Army. Pre-enlistment vulnerability is associated with a variety of negative health outcomes. Two main factors emerge as important predictors of ill health: a ‘family relationships’ factor reflecting the home environment and an ‘externalising behaviour’ factor reflecting behavioural disturbance.Conclusions: Pre-enlistment vulnerability is an important individual risk factor for ill health in military men. Awareness of such factors is important in understanding post-combat psychiatric disorder.Keywords
This publication has 28 references indexed in Scilit:
- How many mailouts? Could attempts to increase the response rate in the Iraq war cohort study be counterproductive?BMC Medical Research Methodology, 2007
- Explanations for the increase in mental health problems in UK reserve forces who have served in IraqThe British Journal of Psychiatry, 2007
- Mental health screening in armed forces before the Iraq war and prevention of subsequent psychological morbidity: follow-up studyBMJ, 2006
- Predictors of posttraumatic stress disorder and symptoms in adults: A meta-analysis.Psychological Bulletin, 2003
- The Relationship of Childhood Abuse to Impulsivity and Suicidal Behavior in Adults With Major DepressionAmerican Journal of Psychiatry, 2001
- Relationship of Childhood Abuse and Household Dysfunction to Many of the Leading Causes of Death in Adults: The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) StudyAmerican Journal of Preventive Medicine, 1998
- Childhood adversity and adult psychiatric disorder in the US National Comorbidity SurveyPsychological Medicine, 1997
- Childhood abuse experiences and combat‐related PTSDJournal of Traumatic Stress, 1994
- Aetiology of anxiety and depressive disorders in an inner-city population. 1. Early adversityPsychological Medicine, 1993
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in the General PopulationThe New England Journal of Medicine, 1987