Mental health characteristics of younger ex-servicemen with a combat-related visual impairment and younger ex-servicemen with a non-combat-related visual impairment
| Combat-related visual impairment (n=20) n (%) | Non-combat-related visual impairment (n=54) n (%) | Fisher's exact test, p value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| PHQ (depressive symptomatology) | |||
| No probable depression (0–14) | 18 (90.0) (95% CI 76.9 to 100) | 44 (81.5) (95% CI 71.1 to 91.9) | |
| Probable depression (≥15) | 2 (10.0) (95% CI 0 to 23.2) | 10 (18.5) (95% CI 8.1 to 28.9) | p=0.49 |
| GAD (anxiety symptomatology) | |||
| No probable anxiety (0–9) | 15 (75.0) (95% CI 56.0 to 94.0) | 44 (81.5) (95% CI 71.1 to 91.9) | |
| Probable anxiety (≥10) | 5 (25.0) (95% CI 6.0 to 44.0) | 10 (18.5) (95% CI 8.1 to 28.9) | p=0.53 |
| PCL (PTSD symptomatology) | |||
| No probable PTSD (0–49) | 18 (90.0) (95% CI 76.9 to 100) | 45 (83.3) (95% CI 73.4 to 93.3) | |
| Probable PTSD (>49) | 2 (10.0) (95% CI 0 to 23.2) | 9 (16.7) (95% CI 6.8 to 26.7) | p=0.72 |
| AUDIT (alcohol problems) | |||
| No alcohol problems (0–7) | 7 (35.0) (95% CI 14.1 to 55.9) | 34 (63.0) (95% CI 50.1 to 75.9) | |
| Hazardous drinking (8–15) | 9 (45.0) (95% CI 23.2 to 66.8) | 11 (20.4) (95% CI 9.7 to 31.2) | |
| Harmful drinking (>15) | 4 (20.0) (95% CI 2.5 to 37.5) | 9 (16.7) (95% CI 6.8 to 26.7) | p=0.07 |
AUDIT, Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test; GAD, general anxiety disorder; PCL, post-traumatic stress disorder; PHQ, patient health questionnaire; PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder.