Mental health status in severe lung chemical injured veterans who exposure to sulfur mustard (SM)

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the mental health of veterans with severe pulmonary chemical injuries more than two decades after the end of Iran-Iraq war. This cross sectional study enrolled 292 cases with severe lung chemical injuries caused by exposure to sulfur mustard from across the country. Demographic data were recorded. All subjects were examined by a psychiatrist. Patient’s appearance such as appearance, temperament and affection was evaluated by psychiatrist’s observations. Mental Disorders were assessed using DSM-IV in 5 axes. A proper treatment plan for each patient was recommend. Data were entered into the SPSS22 software and statistical analysis was performed using appropriate tests. 213 (72.9%) of our subjects were diagnosed with mental disorders. Anxiety disorder was the most common disorder in Axis I and 90% of them were allocated to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 123 (42.1%) cases suffered from different types of depression. In Axis III, 49 (16.8%) cases were suffering other medical illnesses which affected mental health. Axis IV showed 51 (17.5%) subjects were involved with a variety of environmental problems. In GAF scale, 91.5% of participants gained 60 points or less. There was an inverse relationship between mental disorder and efficiency levels (p<0.001). The prevalence of psychiatric disorders including depression, anxiety and PTSD in severe pulmonary chemical injured was more than other veterans and 2 to 5 times of Iranian normal population.