H
Harry Hope
Guest
From The Associated Press, 4/17/08:
http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-troops-mental-health,0,6159735.story
300,000 vets have mental problem, 320,000 had brain injuries
By PAULINE JELINEK | Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON -
Some 300,000 U.S. troops are suffering from major depression or post
traumatic stress from serving in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and
320,000 received brain injuries, a new study estimates.
Only about half have sought treatment, said the study released
Thursday by the RAND Corporation.
"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 the nonprofit RAND.
"Unless they receive appropriate and effective care for these mental
health conditions, there will be long-term consequences for them and
for the nation," she said in an interview with The Associated Press.
The 500-page study is the first large-scale, private assessment of its
kind -- including a survey of 1,965 service members across the
country, from all branches of the armed forces and including those
still in the military as well veterans who have left the services.
Its results appear consistent with a number of mental health reports
from within the government, though the Defense Department has not
released the number of people it has diagnosed or who are being
treated for mental problems.
The Department of Veterans Affairs said this month that its records
show about 120,000 who served in the two wars and are no longer in the
military have been diagnosed with mental health problems.
Of the 120,000, approximately 60,000 are suffering from PTSD, the VA
said.
Veterans Affairs is responsible for care of service members after they
have left the service, while the Defense Department covers active duty
and reservist needs.
The lack of information from the Pentagon was one motivation for the
RAND study, Tanielian said.
The most prominent and detailed military study on mental health that
is released is the Army's survey of soldiers at the warfront.
Officials said last month that it's most recent one, done last fall,
found 18.2 percent of soldiers suffered a mental health problem such
as depression, anxiety or acute stress in 2007 compared with 20.5
percent the previous year.
The Rand study, completed in January, put the percentage of PTSD and
depression at 18.5 percent, calculating that approximately 300,000
current and former service members were suffering from those problems
at the time of its survey, which was completed in January.
The figure is based on Pentagon data showing over 1.6 million military
personnel have deployed to the conflicts since the war in Afghanistan
began in late 2001.
RAND researchers also found:
_About 19 percent -- or some 320,000 services members -- reported that
they experienced a possible traumatic brain injury while deployed. In
wars where blasts from roadside bombs are prevalent, the injuries can
range from mild concussions to severe head wounds.
_About 7 percent reported both a probable brain injury and current
PTSD or major depression.
_Only 43 percent reported ever being evaluated by a physician for
their head injuries.
_Only 53 percent of service members with PTSD or depression sought
help over the past year.
_They gave various reasons for not getting help, including that they
worried about the side effects of medication; believe family and
friends could help them with the problem, or that they feared seeking
care might damage their careers.
_Rates of PTSD and major depression were highest among women and
reservists.
The report is titled "Invisible Wounds of War: Psychological and
Cognitive Injuries, Their Consequences, and Services to Assist
Recovery."
________________________________________________
This should make the Republican administration sleep really well
tonight
Harry
http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-troops-mental-health,0,6159735.story
300,000 vets have mental problem, 320,000 had brain injuries
By PAULINE JELINEK | Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON -
Some 300,000 U.S. troops are suffering from major depression or post
traumatic stress from serving in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and
320,000 received brain injuries, a new study estimates.
Only about half have sought treatment, said the study released
Thursday by the RAND Corporation.
"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 the nonprofit RAND.
"Unless they receive appropriate and effective care for these mental
health conditions, there will be long-term consequences for them and
for the nation," she said in an interview with The Associated Press.
The 500-page study is the first large-scale, private assessment of its
kind -- including a survey of 1,965 service members across the
country, from all branches of the armed forces and including those
still in the military as well veterans who have left the services.
Its results appear consistent with a number of mental health reports
from within the government, though the Defense Department has not
released the number of people it has diagnosed or who are being
treated for mental problems.
The Department of Veterans Affairs said this month that its records
show about 120,000 who served in the two wars and are no longer in the
military have been diagnosed with mental health problems.
Of the 120,000, approximately 60,000 are suffering from PTSD, the VA
said.
Veterans Affairs is responsible for care of service members after they
have left the service, while the Defense Department covers active duty
and reservist needs.
The lack of information from the Pentagon was one motivation for the
RAND study, Tanielian said.
The most prominent and detailed military study on mental health that
is released is the Army's survey of soldiers at the warfront.
Officials said last month that it's most recent one, done last fall,
found 18.2 percent of soldiers suffered a mental health problem such
as depression, anxiety or acute stress in 2007 compared with 20.5
percent the previous year.
The Rand study, completed in January, put the percentage of PTSD and
depression at 18.5 percent, calculating that approximately 300,000
current and former service members were suffering from those problems
at the time of its survey, which was completed in January.
The figure is based on Pentagon data showing over 1.6 million military
personnel have deployed to the conflicts since the war in Afghanistan
began in late 2001.
RAND researchers also found:
_About 19 percent -- or some 320,000 services members -- reported that
they experienced a possible traumatic brain injury while deployed. In
wars where blasts from roadside bombs are prevalent, the injuries can
range from mild concussions to severe head wounds.
_About 7 percent reported both a probable brain injury and current
PTSD or major depression.
_Only 43 percent reported ever being evaluated by a physician for
their head injuries.
_Only 53 percent of service members with PTSD or depression sought
help over the past year.
_They gave various reasons for not getting help, including that they
worried about the side effects of medication; believe family and
friends could help them with the problem, or that they feared seeking
care might damage their careers.
_Rates of PTSD and major depression were highest among women and
reservists.
The report is titled "Invisible Wounds of War: Psychological and
Cognitive Injuries, Their Consequences, and Services to Assist
Recovery."
________________________________________________
This should make the Republican administration sleep really well
tonight
Harry
