Blast Injury and Long-Term Mental Health in Soldiers: It's Not Just PTSD
Introduction: Military personnel are often exposed to explosions (blast injuries) during service. We already know that such injuries can lead to PTSD and brain damage (TBI), but less is known about other long-term mental health issues. This study looks at whether blast injuries are also linked to other serious mental health conditions, like mood disorders, anxiety, or personality problems, that make it hard for someone to function in everyday life.
Methods: Three large databases in Israel tracked injuries, hospital records, and long-term mental health problems in military personnel from 2006 to 2021. Researchers looked at who was injured, how they were injured, and whether they later developed long-term mental health issues (not including PTSD). Logistic regression analysis was used to see if there is a strong link between blast injuries and these mental health problems.
Results: Out of 7,646 military personnel (mostly 20-year-old men) about 1 in 5 had a blast injury. Only a small number of people (44) developed long-term mental health issues that weren't PTSD. These problems were twice as common in people who had blast injuries compared to those who didn't. Even after accounting for how severe the injury was or if the person also had a head injury, those with blast injuries were still more likely to have mental health issues.
Conclusion: Military personnel who have blast injuries are more likely to develop serious long-term mental health issues even if they didn't have a head injury. This means closer attention should be paid to the mental health of anyone who has experienced a blast and give them proper care early on. More research is needed to understand why this happens.
Blast injury and chronic psychiatric disability in military personnel: Exploring the association beyond posttraumatic stress disorder. Epshtein E, Shraga S, Radomislensky I et al. Journal of Psychiatric Research 184 (2025) 515-521 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.03.026
This research was funded by internal departmental sources and did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
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