Physical comorbidities of post-traumatic stress disorder in Australian Vietnam War veterans.

Objective: To determine whether the prevalence of physical comorbidities in Australian Vietnam War veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is higher than in trauma-exposed veterans without PTSD.

Design, Setting And Participants: Cross-sectional analysis of the health status (based on self-reported and objective clinical assessments) of 298 Australian Vietnam War veterans enrolled by the Gallipoli Medical Research Institute (Brisbane) during February 2014 - July 2015, of whom 108 were confirmed as having had PTSD and 106 served as trauma-exposed control participants.Main outcomes and measures: Diagnostic psychiatric interview and psychological assessments determined PTSD status, trauma exposure, and comorbid psychological symptoms.