Suicides among Iraq and Afghanistan war vets may exceed combat deaths.
Suicides among Iraq and Afghanistan war vets may exceed combat deaths.
Thomas Insel — director of the National Institute of Mental Health and the U.S. government’s top psychiatric researcher — said today that “the number of suicides among veterans of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan may exceed the combat death toll because of inadequate mental health care.” Bloomberg reports:
Insel echoed a Rand Corporation study published last month that found about 20 percent of returning U.S. soldiers have post-traumatic stress disorder or depression, and only half of them receive treatment. About 1.6 million U.S. troops have fought in the two wars since October 2001, the report said. About 4,560 soldiers had died in the conflicts as of today, the Defense Department reported on its Web site.
Based on those figures and established suicide rates for similar patients who commonly develop substance abuse and other complications of post-traumatic stress disorder, “it’s quite possible that the suicides and psychiatric mortality of this war could trump the combat deaths,” Insel said.
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25 Responses to “Suicides among Iraq and Afghanistan war vets may exceed combat deaths.”
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"But, they volunteered"
May 5th, 2008 at 6:07 pm~VA Voter, 05-05-08
Why do republicans hate the troops?
May 5th, 2008 at 6:09 pm8,000+ American deaths. If the reason we went to Iraq was for oil, was it worth it BushCo? I hear oil is going to be at least $7 a gallon by the end of Summer. Hey, 28%'ers, this is the kind of world you want?
May 5th, 2008 at 6:12 pmExit Stage Left Says:
Why do republicans hate the troops?
Because the soldiers are brave, courageous, and patriotic. Repubs can never be any of those things. Repubs are losers and cowards. they know it. That is why the likes of Limbaugh and hannity are still on the air. The right side needs 'fake' heroes as there are no 'real' heroes in their own party.
May 5th, 2008 at 6:13 pmBush...America's National Shame.
These deaths are on your head.
May 5th, 2008 at 6:15 pmI'm just guessing that John Bolton's response would be, "So?"
May 5th, 2008 at 6:16 pmCheney just had an orgasm.
May 5th, 2008 at 6:29 pmThis is one of the most depressing things I've read, in a whole long list of depressing information about the Iraq Occupation. Maybe McCain has a plan to get help for these people -- always providing they've got in at least 12 years of service first.
May 5th, 2008 at 6:29 pmI wonder if Limbaugh is tonguing a cuban cigar with delight
May 5th, 2008 at 6:32 pmConservatively, one out of every three homeless men who is sleeping in a doorway, alley or box in our cities and rural communities has put on a uniform and served this country. According to the National Survey of Homeless Assistance Providers and Clients (U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness and the Urban Institute, 1999), veterans account for 23% of all homeless people in America.
May 5th, 2008 at 6:58 pmWave on your way to the mall .
May 5th, 2008 at 6:59 pmHi V, I'm good. Supposed to be studying for finals, but decided to take a little break. How's life treating you?
May 5th, 2008 at 7:04 pmAnd to the republic for which it stands ,
May 5th, 2008 at 7:08 pmone nation.
under Exxon
With liberty and justice for oil .
...................................Oh oh say can you see ?
End this insanity!
May 5th, 2008 at 7:09 pmIts all just mere collateral damage. The ends justifies the means. BushCo has its footprint firmly on Iraqi soil in the form of huge permanent military bases and the largest military HQ... er "embassy" in the world to operate out of, in its quest to control the entire ME (and its oil resourses). In addition, they have a puppet government to put on the face of "democracy" to show the rest of the world.
Their tactic of "shock and awe" went much further than the obvious military shock back in 2003. The other more important "shock" is the effect on the country economically. A weak people, unable to find the very basics of life, such as potable water or an adequate sewer system can put up no resistance to the illegal takeover of their country. Additionally, the chaos of ethnic cleansing and the huge resettling of Iraqis (2.5 million have fled the country) creates the vacuum into which BushCo and its corporatist backers rush, in their bid to "privatize" the country for outside investors. (A huge theme park is coming to the Green Zone as soon as things are "stable." Isn't that fabhulous???)
Yes, we hear BushCo crowing almost daily over their success. Chainy says: "So?" Bush romantasizes about the war, wishing he could experience it. McBush says we are winning in Iraq. "The Iraqi people owe the American people a huge debt of gratitude" said Bush.
The ends surely justify the means here, right? I mean look at all the success here. You complain about a few dead troops? And what is all this exaggeration about PSTR or what ever you call it. Just get over it! Be proud to have served your country in its deepest hour of need.
And the insane beat goes on... Sigh...
May 5th, 2008 at 7:10 pmWow V, a book! Impressive. :-)
People in northern Idaho are quite vulnerable to spring fever -- we had snow less than a week ago!
May 5th, 2008 at 7:11 pmWhaddaya mean "soon?"
May 5th, 2008 at 7:15 pmSattva,
May 5th, 2008 at 7:28 pmLowest popularity rating of any prez in 70 years for the longest sustained period and the highest disapproval rating period , I believe .The price of crude oil has doubled from already record prices in a single year with prices at the pump about to follow for the average citizen while the oil companies post record profits every quater .
Spent the winter in South America with my kids ,the dollar lost 10% of it's value against the chilean pesos in the 2 months we were there.
The white house is cuckoo , a dictator seems to have been born in the nest of democracy , but he isn't very popular ANYWHERE !
Frankly, I don’t believe there will be any elections in November - my gut sense tells me that they’d prefer another false flag and martial law instead…..leaving the crims in office indefinitely.
That needs to be repeated...Martial Law is on the way!!!! Along with war in Iran!!!!!
May 5th, 2008 at 7:30 pmIf the stats are true we need more adequate mental healthcare support for our troops.
Additionally, someone needs to ask Barack Obama if increasing our efforts in Afganistan and widening the war on terror to include Pakistan, is really worth the increased toll it will take on our troops.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/08/01/obama-would-take-war-on-terror-into-pakistan/
May 5th, 2008 at 7:39 pm8000 Americans and 1,200,000 Iraqis and counting.
May 5th, 2008 at 8:22 pmShouldn't someone ask this of Mc100yearwar?
May 5th, 2008 at 8:29 pmAw, how cute, a concern troll.
Backup, Barack would handle the Afghanistan and Pakistan situation AFTER getting us out of Shrub's crowning achievement known as "Free Iraq". You know, the quagmire you fully supported, like a pwned dipshit.
May 6th, 2008 at 10:36 amIf the stats are true we need more adequate mental healthcare support for our troops
Well, since your idiot-boy-king der Chimperor hasn't verified the stats, you better just move along here...
May 6th, 2008 at 10:38 amDumb Question: A lot of these soldiers will be discharged from the military only to show signs of mental illness later. So doesn't this bolster the need for national healthcare ?
May 6th, 2008 at 11:23 am