Post Traumatic Stress in Iraq Vets

One in 10 Iraq veterans may develop a severe case of PTSD.
The Los Angeles Times (6/7, Kaplan) "Booster Shots" blog reported that a study published June 8 in the Archives of General Psychiatry examines "how many soldiers develop" post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) "and other mental health disorders after deployment." Researchers "from the US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command examined 13,226 anonymous surveys completed by veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom." The investigators found that "roughly one in 10 survey-takers had PTSD that was severe enough to cause 'serious functional impairment.'"
"Between nine percent and 14 percent of the soldiers were diagnosed with PTSD or depression resulting in serious impairment, while 23 percent to 31 percent were deemed to have some impairment," CNN /Health.com (6/7 Gardner) reported. Notably, "the risk of mental health problems may be more persistent among National Guard soldiers, the study suggests. A greater proportion of men and women in the National Guard than in the Army were diagnosed with PTSD and depression one year after their return, although the two groups had similar rates at the three-month mark."