Long Term Health Outcomes of Women Veterans' Service During the Vietnam Era

Little is known about the long-term health and mental health status of women Vietnam
veterans. For many of these women, the effects of this war are still present in their daily
lives. As these women approach their mid-sixties, it is important to understand the impact
of wartime deployment on health and mental health outcomes nearly 40 years later. The
investigators propose to assess the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and
other mental and physical health conditions for women Vietnam veterans, and to explore the
relationship between PTSD and other conditions and the Vietnam deployment experience. The
investigators are interested in studying women Vietnam veterans who may have had direct
exposure to traumatic events. For the first time, the investigators also want to study those
who served in facilities near Vietnam. These women may have had similar, but less direct
exposures. This cross-sectional study will seek to contact approximately 10,000 women for
participation in a mailed survey, telephone interview and a review of their medical records.
Women identified as serving in Vietnam, near Vietnam (in Asia during the Vietnam Ware) and
in the U.S. during the Vietnam War will be identified from an established cohort and sent a
survey on demographics, behaviors, disability, health-related quality of life, and medical
conditions. Women agreeing to be contacted will also be interviewed by study investigators
using the modified CIDI to ascertain current and lifetime mental health conditions
(including PTSD) and exposure to traumatic events. A more extensive chart review will be
conducted by a clinician to validate self-report of key medical conditions.