British Study: Years of Delay May Elapse Between Combat and PTSD

From the Press Association:

Soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan may not show symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) for years, according to a British study. "The military studies consistently showed high rates of delayed-onset PTSD," the report said.

The report said in some cases, Second World War and Korean War veterans did not show the symptoms of PTSD for 30 years, although it could not be ruled out that they had experienced some that had not been noticed or diagnosed.

The authors looked at 74 studies, narrowing them down based on the reliability of their definitions of PTSD to 10 case studies and 19 group studies. Some car accident victims also did not experience PTSD's effects for months or years.

The study, Delayed-Onset Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Systematic Review of the Evidence, appears in this month's American Journal of Psychiatry.