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As many as 35 percent of U.S. military personnel who serve in Iraq will seek treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the Veterans Affairs Department needs to boost its mental health resources to deal with the demand, say Stanford University researchers.
They said the tempo of deployment cycles to Iraq is higher than for any war since World War II, United Press International reported.
The researchers combined a mathematical operations research model with deployment and PTSD data from the Iraq War and came up with the 35 percent estimate. The study appears in the journal Management Science.
There are already long waits for people seeking PTSD treatment in the VA system, which must increase its ability to deal with the expected high demand, the researchers said, UPI reported.
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As a vet from earlier service, I am thankful that there is more awarness and acceptance in the service of the condition called PTSD. I know there is difficulty getting treatment through the VA but once in, I'm happy to say the treatment is validating, compassionate and sincere. It helps to have counselors and doctors who work with those of us who lived the military mindset and are struggling with the stigma of being "weak". BTW, some PTSD is now about military sexual trauma for women AND men that leave veterens with a double whammy of shame.
September 23, 2009 - 7:02amThis Comment