Objective: To follow up survivors of Australian services hospitalized in 1942–1952 and compare their reported symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with symptoms in their hospital files.
Method: Twelve survivors were interviewed and combatants completed the revised Impact of Event Scale.
Results: Eight survivors had symptoms satisfying a diagnosis of PTSD at the time of the study. There was underreporting of most relevant symptoms in their hospital files.
Conclusions: PTSD symptoms were probably common during and after World War II. The findings have implications for the management of PTSD generally and the treatment of ageing WWII veterans in particular.
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