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 chickenhawks.
I’m suffering pre truamatic election syndrome.
Possible brain disorder? Shouldn’t you know one way or the other? And are there really 300 thousand of these?
You’re still using the ‘chickenhawk’ line? Even though we’re headed towards McCain vs non-serving Hillary and Barack? Obviously, only those who’ve served should be making decisions on the war right? Right???….
#3 – good for you and your candyass buddies in Washington. Why take responsibility for what you created, supported and still waste money and lives on?
Just drag out the nutball crystal ball and blame someone else – in the future.
At least you can rely on McCain to keep the stupidity in place. And you can prance around wearing his metaphoric medals. He certainly does it enough.
Yep. One son came back from Afghanistan with PTSD. I think he still has it, even though he is now deployed in Iraq. The other son… He’s had two Hummvee’s blown out from under him with EFPs. He’s been diagnosed with TBI. Yep, I’m thinking he’ll be diagnosed with it too.
@#3 – has someone miraculously discovered secret missions performed by the Bush Bros Brigade? Or have we only the public record of their studied avoidance of personal risk?
Pussies!
>>You’re still using the ‘chickenhawk’ line?
Why not? The Chickenhawk-in-Chief still sits on his despoiled throne.
While having been a soldier doesn’t necessarily qualify one to be commander-in-chief, having been a coward during wartime should certainly disqualify one from starting wars. Especially when that coward has no idea wtf he’s going to do.
Cripes! This report is from RAND Corp.
Who’s left to defend the Republikan Party? Billy-Joe-Bob and three bumpass drunks at the American Legion Bar on a Saturday night?
feeling a little down? i wonder how iraqis feel about it – oh that’s right, they’re dead
Yep, if you don’t have PTSD, you just weren’t there long enough, or you served in a non combat role.
#7–Sister Mary Hand Grenade === I have posted several time that I tend to take people/issues/things at face value until evidence proves otherwise ((a great failing in life on my part)). Its been occurring to me for months that there are many people with “on point” humorous names. With your post, I’m concluding that a small group of merry pranksters post repeatedly here using that technique.
Sounds like fun==but I won’t infringe on your copyrighted technique and will just try to maintain my own current persona.
Keep the good stuff coming.
1 in 5 soldiers (20%) ain’t that bad, considering more kids at schools have stress-related problem (some 40%).
On the other hand what were they thinking when they enlisted?
Maybe they watch too much CNN and since they never saw any dead soldier in the news, they thought “how bad it can be? can’t be that bad”
War is war, not the sunbathing in Baghdad – hence the unpleasant surprise and following PTSD for 20% of’em…
#12 – Some people take themselves way to serious here. I enjoy the opinions and information that is exchanged regardless if I tend to agree or not. I do have a brutal sense of humor at times that might make some think that I need a checkup from the neck up. I’m amazed at the heated arguments at times and always thought if they got us all into a room everyone would probably be rather cordial, well, except for James Hill. I even agree with him sometimes which makes me want to run for the medicine cabinet. I just wish I could see the comments that are deleted here by the editors, I’d probably piss my habit.
Sincerely,
Sister Mary Hand Grenade
Our Lady of Quiet Reflection
See our new product – Pope on a Rope – http://tinyurl.com/4d5vdu
CNN never talked about dead soldiers? Wow.
#15
Talked – yes.
Showed – no.
If you have ever really seen any dead US soldier on CNN or FOX please tell us when was it? I hope you are not confusing this “War on Terror” with Vietnam War…
There’s no such thing as a post traumatic disorder. That’s no mental condition.
#17
Of course there is, as well as many other ‘diseases’ discovered in past 15-20 years (for which drug companies conveniently created pills for)
13-
They were told when they enlisted they’d have 6 month tours, which have been extended to 12 months, 18 months, and beyond. The fact that it’s only 20% is miraculous to me, I’d suspect that after 12 months of living in constant danger every day, of seeing your buddies die every day, of being in a hostile country with no objective and no end in sight would have all of them suffering PTSD.
Add a few hundred more billion dollars to the cost of this damn war.
It’s isn’t just the cost of taking care of these guys… which the government probably won’t do. It’s the loss of them as productive tax-paying members of society and the cost of their anti-social behavior. It’s incalculable, really.
I can’t state how evil this war is, and how evil are those who conceived it, lied America in to it and — yes — those who cheered Bush along.