Study Calls For Yearly PTSD Screenings For Iraq, Afghanistan War Vets

The Institute of Medicine, an independent group of experts that advises the federal government on medical issues, today released a study calling for annual post traumatic stress disorder screenings for U.S. troops who have served in Iran and Afghanistan. The New York TImes At War blog reports that the study also recommended that the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs expand access to treatment services “particularly for people in rural areas, in the National Guard or Reserves, or in combat zones.” It is estimated that between 13 and 20 percent of the nearly 3 million service members that have deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan have symptoms of PTSD.