A new comprehensive report by the RAND Corporation has concluded that 300,000 veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from depression or PTSD--and only about half have sought out treatment, according to the Associated Press. The report surveyed 1,965 vets in what the AP calls the first large scale private study of its kind. The numbers show that 18.5 percent of all Iraq and Afghanistan vets suffer from these these symptoms. According to RAND, possible solutions to temper these problems may be available:
Among our recommendations is that effective treatments documented in the scientific literature — evidence-based care
— are available for PTSD and major depression. Delivery of such care to
all veterans with PTSD or major depression would pay for itself within
two years, or even save money, by improving productivity and reducing
medical and mortality costs. Such care may also be a cost-effective way
to retain a ready and healthy military force for the future. However,
to ensure that this care is delivered requires system-level changes
across the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs,
and the U.S. health care system.
The AP offered up more conclusions drawn from the study, including why vets are not seeking care:
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.
The report also noted who is most susceptible to depression and PTSD, although, in the end, it is a vet's exposure to combat trauma that is the greatest predictor:
Rates of PTSD and major depression were highest among Army soldiers and
Marines, and among service members who were no longer on active duty
(people in the reserves and those who had been discharged or retired
from the military). Women, Hispanics and enlisted personnel all were
more likely to report symptoms of PTSD and major depressions.
Last November the Pentagon opened the Defense Center of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury in an effort to bring together education, treatment, and research. From the Department of Defense:
The center also will set standards and
assess, survey and validate DoD programs, and decide, in part, how
resources are directed... Center officials are
reviewing hundreds of research project proposals that hope to claim a
piece of the $300 million set aside by Congress last year for brain
injury research. The office also will work with the military services
to see which of the many programs funded with another $600 million from
Congress are working and how to direct those funds to programs most
beneficial to servicemembers and families.
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