Table 1.
Significant Risk Factors for Combat-Related PTSD in Military Personnel and Veterans28
| Factors | Odds Ratio (95% CI) |
|---|---|
| Pretraumatic Factors | |
| Female gender | 1.63 (1.32–2.01) |
| Nonwhite race | 1.18 (1.06–1.31) |
| Lower education level | 1.33 (1.14– 1.54) |
| Lower rank (nonofficer) | 2.18 (1.84–2.57) |
| Army as branch of service | 2.30 (1.76–3.02) |
| Combat specialization | 1.69 (1.39–2.06) |
| Number of deployments (≥ 2) | 1.24 (1.10–1.39) |
| Longer length of deployments | 1.28 (1.13–1.45) |
| Adverse life events | 1.99 (1.55–2.57) |
| Prior trauma | 1.13 (1.01–1.26) |
| Psychological problem(s) | 1.49 (1.22–1.82) |
| Peritrauma Factors | |
| Combat exposure | 2.10 (1.73–2.54) |
| Discharged a weapon | 4.32 (2.60–7.18) |
| Saw someone wounded/killed | 3.12 (2.40–4.06) |
| Severe trauma | 2.91 (1.85–4.56) |
| Deployment-related stressor | 2.69 (1.46–4.96) |
| Post-Trauma Factors | |
| Postdeployment support (yes) | 0.37 (0.18–0.77) |
CI = confidence interval; PTSD = post-traumatic stress disorder.