Thread: MENTAL ILLNESS RIFE AMONG RETURNING US SOLDIERS

Mental illnesses rife among returning US soldiers
Posted : Tue, 13 Mar 2007 10:05:01 GMT
Author : Sunil Vyas
Category : Health
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SAN FRANCISCO - Almost a third of returning US soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan are suffering from a variety of mental illnesses, according to a joint study by researchers at University of California, San Francisco and the San Francisco VA Medical Center.

The study examined Veteran Affairs care records of 103,788 veterans who received care between 2001 and 2005. Among them almost 31 percent or over 32,000 veterans were diagnosed with mental health or psychological problems. An astounding 56 percent had two or more mental health problems.

Of the total number examined, almost 50 percent were veterans of the National Guard or Reserves, 13 percent were women, while nearly half were under the age of 30.

The details of the study are published in the March 12 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

The most common mental health disorder seen among veterans was post-traumatic stress disorder. The latter is a classed anxiety disorder that can potentially lead to substance abuse and problems of memory. Depression, substance abuse disorder, stress related disorders and adjustment disorders were also seen.

"Our results signal a need for improvements in the primary prevention of military service-related mental health disorders, particularly among our youngest service members," the researchers wrote. "Because they are young, they are more likely to be of lower rank and more likely to have greater combat exposure than their older active-duty counterparts."

Reacting to the study, Sen. Max Cleland said that the mental health issues were a price of war, "If you don't intervene with the emotional aftermath of the war up-front and early, it can slide down a precipitous path to hell," he added.

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http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/39586.html

Having done a considerable amount of research into this subject, and having been a Captain in the medical field, I have big problems with this article.

They have tried to make people believe there are a lot of suicides. However, even when there is no war going on, there are quite a number of suicides in the military EVERY YEAR. And this is a FACT.

I would chalk 90% of this up to anti-war bull.

I would be surprised if they didn't have PST. Afterall it' war! This is an obvious leftist attempt to portray our soldiers as crazy. I take issue with the statement about lower ranking soldiers seeing more combat. Where's the proof?? Also coming from the anti-military seat of the US, San Fran PelosiO!

Wow, I had no idea that the suicides were perpetual outside of war. I just remember Viet Nam and the sad part about this war is I predicted this would be another Viet Nam. As soon as Boosh started spoon feeding the drumbeat to the stupid press, I knew a lot of lives would be lost fighting for their lies.