1 in 5 Iraq, Afghanistan Vets Suffer PTSD

1 in 5 Iraqi, Afghanistan Vets Suffer PTSD

Published on April 19th, 2008
Posted by Eideard in General

Nearly 20 percent of military service members
who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan —
300,000 in all — report symptoms of post
traumatic stress disorder or major depression, yet only
slightly more than half have sought treatment, according to a new
RAND Corporation study.

In addition, researchers found about 19 percent of returning
service members report that they experienced a possible
traumatic brain injury while deployed, with
7 percent reporting both a probable
brain injury and current PTSD or major depression.

Many service members said they do not seek treatment for
psychological illnesses because they fear it will harm their
careers. But even among those who do seek help for PTSD
or major depression, only about half receive treatment that
researchers consider “minimally adequate” for their illnesses…

“There is a major health crisis facing those men and
women who have served our nation in Iraq and Afghanistan,”
said Terri Tanielian, the project’s co-leader and a researcher
at RAND, a nonprofit research organization. “Unless they receive
appropriate and effective care for these mental health conditions,
there will be long-term consequences for them and for
the nation. Unfortunately, we found there are many barriers
preventing them from getting the high-quality treatment they
need.”

Another cost of Bush’s War ignored beforehand - and since - by our
grand imperial wizards.

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The VA has set up a 24-hour suicide hotline round-the-clock
access to mental health professionals.
The number is 1-800-273- 8255 (TALK).
To learn more about PTSD-- visit the
National Center for PTSD website.
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Flashback, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Suicide,
and the Lessons of WAR by Penny Coleman
and--->
I Can Still Hear Thier Cries, Even In My Sleep...
A Journey Into PTSD By E. Everett McFall
Both Books are Available on Amazon.com