1 in 5 Iraq and Afghanistan vets have PTSD or ‘major depression.’
Filed Under: Military
By on Apr 17th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
1 in 5 Iraq and Afghanistan vets have PTSD or ‘major depression.’
“Some 300,000 U.S. troops are suffering from major depression or post traumatic stress (PTSD) from serving in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and 320,000 received brain injuries,” according to a study from the RAND Corporation. The study put the percentage of PTSD and depression at 18.5 percent, but only “about half have sought treatment.”
Sort Comments By: Top Rated | Date
29 Responses to “1 in 5 Iraq and Afghanistan vets have PTSD or ‘major depression.’”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Register
RSSLogin
View Most Popular
Visit Our Affiliated Sites
What We're About
What We're Fighting For
What We're Fighting Against
Featured
Subscribe to the Progress Report
Got a hot tip?
Have a hot news tip? We'd love to hear from you. Use the form below to send us the latest.
Reports
In depth studies on select topics
Topic CloudView topics sorted by popularity
Afghanistan
Beck
Bolton
Bush
Cheney
Clinton
Drudge
Earmarks
Economy
Environment
Ethics
Feith
Fox News
GI Bill
Global Warming
Gore
Graham
Hagee
Health Care
Housing
Immigration
Impeachment
Iran
Iraq
Israel
Justice
LGBT
Lieberman
Limbaugh
McCain
Media
Military
O'Hanlon
O'Reilly
Obama
Petraeus
Politics
Race
Radical Right
Rove
Siegelman
Sports
Third Bush Term
Torture
Women's Rights
ArchivesBlog RollAbout Think ProgressContact Us
Donate
Sadly, even fewer than half will receive any meaningful treatment…..
April 17th, 2008 at 12:14 pmI’m willing to bet the numbers are much higher than that, but soldiers do not want to seek help until after their ETS. If you are an officer, it could affect your clearance, and therefore your commission. If you are a senior NCO, this could lead to your RCP from duty. Also, getting medication while deployed is an absolute nightmare.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:19 pm“Some 300,000 U.S. troops are suffering from major depression or post traumatic stress (PTSD) from serving in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and 320,000 received brain injuries,” according to a study from the RAND Corporation. The study put the percentage of PTSD and depression at 18.5 percent, but only “about half have sought treatment.”
So?
April 17th, 2008 at 12:20 pmMore proof that this war is a crime against humanity.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:20 pmThere’s another ‘Mission Accomplished’, the destruction of our armed forces.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:20 pmWhat about the millions of small d democrats and freedom and liberty lovers that have suffered at the hands of Bush/Chaney/McInsane Republican interim dictators for almost eight years? Republican logic is a mental illness and they are driving the rest of us off the mental health cliff and they don’t want our health insurance to help pay for it.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:24 pmGOP support of the troops: repeated deployments, cut funding and close VA mental aid, NO to a new GI Bill (they would not re-up).
April 17th, 2008 at 12:24 pmNot to mention that when - and if - these suffering vets come home, they’ll end up homeless, drug-addicted, suicidal - or homicidal…
Way to support the troops, Chimpy. NOT.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:25 pmAnd McCain, our favorite “support the troops by voting against them” politician, voted against funding Veterans outpatient care.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:32 pmWell see that’s another good reason for no GI Bill and to keep the extended tours. No GI Bill they’ll have to stay in the military, then they’ll get more depressed, more of them will commit suicide or get killed and then that’s less of them suffering from PTSD. That’s a win/win for the Rethugs.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:46 pmSigh…it really is sad that none of this is ever a surprise anymore…it’s one more outrage/water drop lost among a sea of outrages/in the bucket. It just never ends.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:56 pmIf you were being sarcastic, then I apologize. If not, you’re a f—king idiot.
From Wikipedia:
By the way, if you are indeed a troll, as I suspect you are, it’s absolutely HILARIOUS that when I click on your name I get the White House web page…moron.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:59 pmOops, forgot to indicate who I was talking to…freedomless.
April 17th, 2008 at 1:01 pmEven the vets that don’t show signs of PTSD now, could have it emerge even weeks or years later. Thanks to Bush & Cheney they have left a lasting scar that may never heal on a whole generation of men. The only way we have to provide these soldiers with some kind of justice is to make damn sure everyone in the Bush Administration is held accountable. Also, to make sure that our politicians pass every single bill related to the care of our veterans.
April 17th, 2008 at 1:07 pmShell shock, PTSD, whatever you want to call it, has had several different names throughout the years. But it is hitting hard right now because the military has never before in history done such prolonged and repeated tours with the same soldiers.
April 17th, 2008 at 1:08 pmfreedomless Says:
The term “post traumatic stress” is a new medical name it’s only been around for this war. I’m sure if you tested all past war veterans they would have “Post Traumatic Stress too
April 17th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
Actually, the term originated in the mid-1970’s, largely due to problems that Vietnam vets suffer/suffered from. Earlier versions include “shell shock.” There were even reports of combat stress as early as the 6th century B.C.
April 17th, 2008 at 1:30 pm300,000? That’s roughly equivalent to the population of Toledo, Ohio. That’s also about 100 times the number of people killed on 9/11/2001 as a direct or indirect result of the four airplane hijackings.
Why is this not considered an outrage? Is it because they “volunteered” to get their brains scrambled? Has it been fair payment for what we’ve gotten out of our activities in Iraq and Afghanistan? What HAVE we gotten out of our activities in Iraq and Afghanistan, anyway?
April 17th, 2008 at 2:10 pmShell shock = PTSD = Battle Fatigue. Way to support the troops freedomless.
April 17th, 2008 at 2:12 pmIn addition subtle damage from IEDs is going unreported and those effects will compound the regular PTSD. Way to support the troops Repukes.
April 17th, 2008 at 2:14 pmfree(from synaptic activity) dumb(yes, very) less(acumen than a squirrel)
PTSD has been around since Nam, before that was known as battle fatigue, shell shock, as other posters have noted.
Why are you such a moron?
April 17th, 2008 at 2:26 pmSouthern Idiot/VA Vet/Keltoi: They volunteered.
April 17th, 2008 at 2:26 pmmisshusseinmolly Says:
What HAVE we gotten out of our activities in Iraq and Afghanistan, anyway?
April 17th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
Death and destruction, undermining of our Democracy, shredding of the U.S. Constitution, destroying the middle class and the economy of the U.S., and hatred from the world. Short list.
April 17th, 2008 at 2:32 pmPost traumatic stress has been in the books since vietnam.
April 17th, 2008 at 2:40 pmWhy anyone would post to the contrary is baffling, especially since there is massive research on it.
It is also one of the more difficult disorders to treat. I was told it takes someone with massive experience to treat people with PTSD.
take care
tony and guidedog Lido
I suspect that, had the metrics been available, and the occasion to employ them sufficiently numerous, studies would have discovered that at least one in five combat veterans of ANY conflict is afflicted with PTSD and/or depression…
April 17th, 2008 at 2:43 pmI never served in the military. I do know a bit about both PTSD and chronic depression. I can attest to the terrible lasting effects of both. The first symptoms of which may not appear for months or years.
Even with the best of care, our soldiers thus affected would be facing a hard road. But to the Bush Administration nobody deserves excellent health except themselves and their friends. Add to that the thousands of vets not seeking help due to the stigma that our society places on the mentally ill and the macho culture of the Armed Services.
We’ll be dealing with this bit of fall out from George’s Iraq Adventure for decades to come.
-AF
April 17th, 2008 at 2:58 pmAndrew Sullivan Is A Fraud
The folks who are in charge of this administration have no idea what PTSD is. They think it’s weakness. There is no one among the Bush Mafia who has battle experience except some of the military folks who are supposed to be consulted for this info. The ones who have lasted are probably kissing butt to get their time in. Besides, Bush et al don’t want to listen to anybody. Bush especially since he flew missions over Houston and landed on a carrier in peacetime, he knows all about PTSD and Mental Health! Unfortunately, It is my opinion and mine only, that nothing will get done about this until 2009 if then. Folks in the Bush Crime Family are in a mood to cut programs and fund the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
April 17th, 2008 at 3:17 pmSo, between PTSD, TBI, Major Depression, maimed & wounded and DEAD, we’re approaching a million Americans suffering due to an illegal invasion.
Heckuva job, Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz & Feith.
April 17th, 2008 at 3:26 pmI believe I’m suffering from BPS…Bush Presidency Syndrome.
What do the soldiers have to be depressed about ? After all, we are winning. We are bringing democracy to the world. We are improving their country ?
Admit it, Shrub - war is gruesome and your lies are going to saddle the US Economy for 50 years with the cost of cleaning up after you.
April 17th, 2008 at 3:45 pmAlso I wonder how many “Sam Stone’s” are coming home. Look for alot of substance abuse to numb the PTSD.
April 17th, 2008 at 3:47 pm