Weight loss and PTSD symptom severity in former POWs

To determine the relationship between weight loss suffered by former prisoners of war during captivity during World War II and the Korean Conflict and current posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, the Clinician-Administered PTSD Symptom Scale, a lifetime stressor checklist, and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV were administered to 102 former prisoners of war. Preconfinement and postconfinement weights and length of confinement were obtained from military medical records. Percentage of body weight lost during captivity was significantly higher in those subjects with PTSD and correlated with current PTSD symptom severity. Length of confinement was not associated with current PTSD symptoms.