Study: Thousands of veterans return with mental illness

[GAP]

Study: Thousands of veterans return with mental illness
POSTED: 0728 GMT (1528 HKT), March 13, 2007
Article Link

SAN FRANCISCO, California (CNN) -- Nearly a third of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who received care from Veterans Affairs between 2001 and 2005 were diagnosed with mental health or psychosocial ills, a study published Monday has concluded.

The study was published in the March 12 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine and carried out by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco and the San Francisco VA Medical Center.

They looked at data from 103,788 veterans; about 13 percent of them women, 54 percent under age 30, nearly a third minorities and nearly half veterans of the National Guard or Reserves.

Of the total, 32,010 (31 percent) were diagnosed with mental health and/or psychosocial problems, including 25,658 who received mental health diagnoses. More than half (56 percent) were diagnosed with two or more disorders. (Watch how the wars are blamed for an "epidemic" of mental disorders )

Post-traumatic stress disorder was the most common disorder, with the 13,205 veterans who got the diagnosis accounting for more than half (52 percent) of mental health diagnoses.

Post-traumatic stress disorder, an anxiety disorder that can occur after the experience or witnessing of a traumatic event, can lead to depression, substance abuse, problems of memory and cognition, and other problems of physical and mental health.

Others included anxiety disorder (24 percent), adjustment disorder (24 percent), depression (20 percent) and substance abuse disorder (20 percent).

Of all veterans of Iraq or Afghanistan who sought VA services, post-traumatic stress disorder affected 13 percent, the study said
More on link

 

[Dodger1967]

Study: Thousands of veterans return with mental illness
POSTED: 0728 GMT (1528 HKT), March 13, 2007
Article Link

SAN FRANCISCO, California (CNN) -- Nearly a third of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who received care from Veterans Affairs between 2001 and 2005 were diagnosed with mental health or psychosocial ills, a study published Monday has concluded.

The study was published in the March 12 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine and carried out by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco and the San Francisco VA Medical Center.

They looked at data from 103,788 veterans; about 13 percent of them women, 54 percent under age 30, nearly a third minorities and nearly half veterans of the National Guard or Reserves.

Of the total, 32,010 (31 percent) were diagnosed with mental health and/or psychosocial problems, including 25,658 who received mental health diagnoses. More than half (56 percent) were diagnosed with two or more disorders. (Watch how the wars are blamed for an "epidemic" of mental disorders )

Post-traumatic stress disorder was the most common disorder, with the 13,205 veterans who got the diagnosis accounting for more than half (52 percent) of mental health diagnoses.

Post-traumatic stress disorder, an anxiety disorder that can occur after the experience or witnessing of a traumatic event, can lead to depression, substance abuse, problems of memory and cognition, and other problems of physical and mental health.

Others included anxiety disorder (24 percent), adjustment disorder (24 percent), depression (20 percent) and substance abuse disorder (20 percent).

Of all veterans of Iraq or Afghanistan who sought VA services, post-traumatic stress disorder affected 13 percent, the study said
More on link

I think it's much worse for mental illness casualties, who went through trauma as children, I fall in that category, I was abused, all forms, by bullies in the Group/Foster Homes I was placed in while a Crown Ward of the Toronto Catholic Children's Aid Society. I went through anger management therepy, and have spent time in hospital on several occasions, before being diagnosed with a Personality Disorder/ Bipolar Disorder after a nearly successful suicide attempt back in the mid ninties.Currently I'm on medication and am a consumer on the Ontario Disability Support Plan. I had one bully charged with assault and sexual assalt back in the Early 90's he received 88 days incarceration and the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board gave me $9000 for pain and suffering, with another $5000 held in trust should I ever require therapy. I went through hell from the years 1975 until 1980, being bullied, beaten, dam near hospitalized and molested by teenagers, between the ages of 7 up till I was 11 years old.

That explained, trauma, is trauma no matter where and when it happened, people such as us, don't want pity, we want understanding, compassion and in some cases Justice.

Cheers
Paul

 

[Yrys]

Another article, same subject.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/06/washington/06military.html?ex=1179201600&en=a1675e6b27704768&ei=5070

The detailed mental health survey of troops in Iraq released by the Pentagon on Friday highlights a growing worry for the United States as it struggles to bring order to Baghdad: the high level of combat stress suffered during lengthy and repeated tours.

The fourth in a continuing series, the report suggested that extended tours and multiple deployments, among other policy decisions, could escalate anger and increase the likelihood that soldiers or marines lash out at civilians, or defy military ethics.

That is no small concern since the United States’ counterinsurgency doctrine emphasizes the importance of winning the trust and support of the local population.

The report was provided in November to Gen. George W. Casey Jr., then the senior American commander in Iraq.

Pentagon officials have not explained why the public release of the report was delayed, a move that kept the data out of the public debate as the Bush administration developed its plan to build up troops in Iraq and extend combat tours. Rear Adm. Richard R. Jeffries, a medical officer, told reporters on Friday that the timing was decided by civilian Pentagon officials.

The survey of 1,320 soldiers and 447 marines was conducted in August and September of 2006. The military’s report, which drew on that survey as well as interviews with commanders and focus groups, found that longer deployments increased the risk of psychological problems; that the levels of mental problems was highest — some 30 percent — among troops involved in close combat; that more than a third of troops endorsed torture in certain situations; and that most would not turn in fellow service members for mistreating a civilian.

article continue in the New York Times

 

[FascistLibertarian]

In response to Dodgers comments
research says that some people are predisposed to developing PTSD under minial stress but that a high enough stessor will make this predisposition disapear.
So yeah, some people will develop PTSD from a very minor event but a stressful event will usually affect people regardless of predisposition (IE most Allied POW's in Japan or Death Camp surviors would have PTSD symptoms).