Somatic complaints, stress reaction, and posttraumatic stress disorder: a three-year follow-up study.

The relationships of somatic complaints and health-related habits to combat stress reaction and posttraumatic stress disorder were assessed one, two, and three years after the 1982 Lebanon War. The sample consisted of 213 combat stress reaction Israeli casualties and 116 comparable controls. Results showed that higher rates of somatic complaints were reported by both combat stress reaction and posttraumatic stress disorder casualties at all three assessments. Theoretical and methodological implications are discussed.