- One in five US soldiers returning from Iraq suffers serious
mental health problems associated with post-traumatic stress disorder,
according to research by the US Army.
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- A paper to be published in the New England Journal of
Medicine today says 19.5 per cent of troops who served in Iraq had moderate
or severe mental health problems. If milder symptoms such as anxiety are
included, the number rises to 27.9 per cent.
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- A Pentagon spokesman said the study was the first comprehensive
evaluation of the impact that major ground combat and hazardous duty has
on soldiers. More than 330,000 US troops have been deployed in Iraq since
the start of the invasion. The spokesman said some troops diagnosed with
the disorder had subsequently returned to Iraq after treatment.
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- The UK Ministry of Defence told the FT last night it
was collating a study of PTSD among more than 8,000 British soldiers in
Iraq but expected to find fewer than 50 cases.
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- Advances in technology and battlefield medicine have
reduced the casualties from military action in Iraq. But mental illness
is higher than in earlier conflicts such as the first Gulf war, the US
study claims.
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- Indeed, low casualty rates disguise the number of "close
calls, such as having been saved from being wounded by wearing body armour",
which the report notes can cause trauma.
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- To be diagnosed with PTSD, a soldier must exhibit mental
health problems that affect his ability to function normally in society.
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- Yet as few as a quarter of soldiers with mental disorders
seek help, according to the report from the Walter Reed Army Institute,
and the most serious cases are least likely to be addressed.
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- The study assessed the mental health of 784 soldiers
who had returned from active service in Iraq. It found that 153 had moderate
or severe mental disorders, such as depression.
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- Rates of PTSD in the US adult population are 3-4 per
cent. In the first Gulf war 2-10 per cent of veterans suffered from the
condition.
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- Studies on Vietnam veterans were conducted years after
their service ended, after PTSD had been recognised by the American Psychiatric
Association in 1980. Even though Vietnam was a bloodier war, fought by
a largely conscript army, they found that 15 per cent of veterans suffered
from PTSD. "You take men - angry, young, strong, trained killers -
and suddenly expect them to abide by the rules back home, and you're asking
for trouble," said Shad Meshad, president of the National Veterans
Foundation, a Vietnam veteran.
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