Veterans fight the war within

[razors edge]

Study finds post-traumatic stress disorder diagnoses are on the rise

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-070312ptsd,1,6631853.story?coll=chi-news-hed&ctrack=1&cset=true

The physical risks of war may end when a soldier leaves the battlefield, but new research indicates the mental toll of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is continuing to build, creating a psychological health crisis with no end in sight.

Some experts believe the rate of post-traumatic stress disorder, the most common mental health problem among veterans, may even begin to exceed that seen among those who fought in Vietnam. Among the reasons cited: Many soldiers are enduring multiple tours of duty and more are surviving severe wounds than ever before.

A study of more than 100,000 veterans who have sought medical care since returning from war shows that nearly one-quarter have mental health problems. Half of those—more than 13,000 people—were diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder according to the report to be published Tuesday in the Archives of Internal Medicine. The disorder affects less than 4 percent of the general public.

The unpredictable aspects of combat in Iraq seem to take a mental toll similar to what Vietnam soldiers experienced, said Dr. Chirag Raval, a psychiatrist in the Army Reserves who served in Iraq and is medical director for the mental health intensive case management program at the Hines Veterans Hospital.

[Monkeyman]

1. We Had This at Durbin's Veterans Forum

We got great local Coverage but that was it . The Staff at Hines is great just understaffed, underfunded. These People care the nurses I have seen go home crying that they can do no more. Doctors put in very long hours. Just Nicholson and his lies hurt everyone.

[razors edge]

2. We have to do more for these men.

They do not even know they are affected by this in many cases. Many will end up with jobs in our local police force and the possibility of these disturbed individuals going ballistic at the wrong time is definitely there.

We have to deal with the obviously hurt, both physically and mentally, as well as some type of longer term follow up that can identify the problems below the surface.

I think that if we neglect this it will bite us in the ass later.