重复低水平爆炸暴露对退伍军人心理健康的影响

中文摘要 AI 辅助

爆炸暴露与轻度创伤性脑损伤（mTBI）以及其他负面的身体和心理影响之间的联系已得到充分证实。然而，低水平爆炸暴露（其程度未达到mTBI诊断标准）的影响则较少被记录。低水平爆炸暴露可能引发或加速神经退行性变化，导致加速的与年龄相关的认知衰退或明显的神经病理学诊断，如慢性创伤性脑病（CTE），此外还可能产生其他非神经退行性的长期有害影响，如临床抑郁症。本研究通过一项针对曾在美军担任迫击炮手的退伍军人（n = 42）的调查，分析了低水平爆炸暴露的影响。调查参与者回答了用于测量抑郁、创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）、焦虑和酒精使用障碍的筛查评估。通过配对研究设计，接受调查的迫击炮手与两组对照组进行了比较：一组是无mTBI暴露史的退伍军人（n = 283），另一组是至少经历过一次mTBI暴露的退伍军人（n = 1264）。我们发现，接受调查的迫击炮手在抑郁（通过PHQ-9测量）方面报告的得分显著高于两组对照组。即使在考虑了创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）和不健康酒精使用后，迫击炮手仍然报告了更高的抑郁水平，这表明PTSD并非导致更差心理健康症状的唯一因素。这些结果凸显了对累积爆炸超压及其与心理健康关系进行更全面研究的重要性。

英文摘要

Links between blast exposure and mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), as well as other negative physical and mental effects are well established. However, the effects of low-level blast exposure, which does not rise to the level of a mTBI diagnosis, are less well-documented. Low-level blast exposure may initiate or accelerate neurodegenerative changes, leading to accelerated age-related cognitive decline or overt neuropathological diagnoses such as Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), in addition to other non-neurodegenerative long-term harmful effects, such as clinical depression. This study analyzed the effect of low-level blast exposure through a survey of military veterans who served in the U.S. military as mortarmen (n = 42). Survey participants responded to screening assessments measuring depression, PTSD, anxiety, and alcohol use disorder. Through a matched pair study design, surveyed mortarmen were compared to two control groups consisting of veterans without a history of mTBI exposure (n = 283) and veterans who had suffered at least one mTBI exposure (n = 1264). We found that surveyed mortarmen reported statistically significant higher depression (as measured by PHQ-9) than both groups of controls. Even after accounting for Post-Traumatic Stress disorder (PTSD) and unhealthy alcohol use, mortarmen still reported higher depression, suggesting that PTSD was not the sole factor responsible for worse mental health symptoms. These results highlight the importance of more comprehensive study of cumulative blast overpressure and its relationship with mental health.

发表机构

• University of Pennsylvania（宾夕法尼亚大学）
• Uniformed Services Justice & Advocacy Group（武装部队司法与倡导组织）

机构由 AI 辅助整理，请以论文原文为准。