More than four decades after the 1973 Yom Kippur War, researchers have "unequivocal" proof that former prisoners of war suffer from higher rates of illness and premature death than do soldiers who were not taken captive, Professor Avi Ori, the lead researcher on a three-decade study of Israeli POWs, said at a special conference held at Netanya Academic College on Monday. The study examined the effects of being taken prisoner of war on soldiers in the Yom Kippur War, as well as on their wives and (now adult) children. Hundreds of former POWs participated in the study, which was initiated by Israel Prize laureate Professor Zahava Solomon of Tel Aviv University, who brought Ori, a medical professor, on board. Ori has worked since 1991 to collect the findings that were presented Monday. "The findings show unequivocally that there is biochemical molecular genetic, as well as psychiatric, proof that the POWs are more vulnerable to illnesses and complications and to premature death than the control groups of soldiers we looked at who were not imprisoned and did not suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder," Ori said. Ori noted that the trauma suffered by the POWs led to secondary trauma for their wives and family members. The Netanya conference was sponsored by Erim Balaila ("Awake at Night"), an organization that advocates for the rights of Israeli former POWs. "The study proves that the government and the Defense Ministry must see the rescued POWs as a unique group and support them accordingly. This is a moral obligation that is owed to anyone who endangered his life and physical and mental health for the State of Israel and its residents," college president Professor Zvi Arad said.
Study: Yom Kippur POWs more vulnerable to premature death
Thirty-year research project that compared hundreds of former POWs from 1973 war with control groups of soldiers who were not taken captive offers "unequivocal" proof that POW trauma has unique detrimental effects on physical, mental heath.
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