PTSD, Depression, and Anxiety among Young People in Iraq One Decade after the American Invasion

Abstract

No research, to date, has been conducted on psychological disorders among young adults in Iraq after the U.S. war. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety disorder, and depression. The study also investigated the extent to which differences in the types of war trauma and social support accounted for variation in PTSD and psychiatric disorders among young adults from Iraq. The randomly selected participants (n _ 224) ranged in age from 12 to 23 years. They were selected from 10 public school system in the highly war-exposed areas (Ramadi and Fallujah city). Questionnaires were administered in an interview format with participants at schools by 3 trained psychologists. Results showed that 55.8% reported symptoms consistent with a diagnosis of current PTSD related to the war, and 63.4% reported symptoms consistent with current depression. Results of multiple regression analysis indicated that perceived social support during and after the war was a significant predictor for PTSD and depression. These findings add support to the existing literature which has found that exposure to war experience tends to produce long-term substantial psychological disorders. It also underscores the importance of social support and immediate emotional response to trauma in predicting trauma-related psychopathology, and highlights the potential need for providing early care to exposed individuals exhibiting immediate and severe emotional responses.