Troops in Afghanistan face mental health issues, studies say

[High_Gravity]

Troops in Afghanistan face mental health issues, studies say

After an American soldier allegedly killed 16 Afghans in their homes in a horrific shooting spree during the weekend, military officials speaking on condition of anonymity said it was believed the suspect in the slayings had suffered a mental breakdown.

Though the reason for Sunday's tragedy remains under investigation, mental illness has been a persistent and growing problem for members of the military in Afghanistan, according to several recent studies.

Psychological problems recently reached a five-year high among Marines in Afghanistan, according to a study by a mental health advisory team last year. Nearly 20% of the Marines surveyed in Afghanistan reported psychological problems such as severe stress and depression in 2010, twice the rate as in 2005.

As military personnel are sent into combat over and over, their risk of mental health problems grows, the study found. Almost a third of Marines on their third or fourth deployment in Afghanistan reported psychological problems, compared with 14% of Marines deployed for the first time.

The study also found that the Marines who most need help are most averse to getting it. The stigma tied to getting help for mental health problems was roughly twice as strong among Marines suffering psychological problems, with nearly half saying it would make them seem weak, the study said.

Another recent study found that mental disorders and suicide rates in the military surged up between 2004 and 2008. Mental illness rates nearly doubled after troops were sent to Iraq and Afghanistan, the Army Public Health Command found.

"The increase in suicide rates may be viewed as the tip of the 'mental health iceberg,'" the study published last week said.

Troops in Afghanistan face mental health issues, studies say - latimes.com

 

[uscitizen]

Duhhh.

 

[High_Gravity]

Duhhh.

 

[usmcstinger]

Troops in Afghanistan face mental health issues, studies say

After an American soldier allegedly killed 16 Afghans in their homes in a horrific shooting spree during the weekend, military officials speaking on condition of anonymity said it was believed the suspect in the slayings had suffered a mental breakdown.

Though the reason for Sunday's tragedy remains under investigation, mental illness has been a persistent and growing problem for members of the military in Afghanistan, according to several recent studies.

Psychological problems recently reached a five-year high among Marines in Afghanistan, according to a study by a mental health advisory team last year. Nearly 20% of the Marines surveyed in Afghanistan reported psychological problems such as severe stress and depression in 2010, twice the rate as in 2005.

As military personnel are sent into combat over and over, their risk of mental health problems grows, the study found. Almost a third of Marines on their third or fourth deployment in Afghanistan reported psychological problems, compared with 14% of Marines deployed for the first time.

The study also found that the Marines who most need help are most averse to getting it. The stigma tied to getting help for mental health problems was roughly twice as strong among Marines suffering psychological problems, with nearly half saying it would make them seem weak, the study said.

Another recent study found that mental disorders and suicide rates in the military surged up between 2004 and 2008. Mental illness rates nearly doubled after troops were sent to Iraq and Afghanistan, the Army Public Health Command found.

"The increase in suicide rates may be viewed as the tip of the 'mental health iceberg,'" the study published last week said.

Troops in Afghanistan face mental health issues, studies say - latimes.com

Not much new about combat vets and PTSD.
The symptoms of PTSD can even be traced back to ancient times.
PTSD and the many issues related to it were not identified until after the Vietnam War.

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) was first defined as a distinct diagnosis in the 3rd edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III), published in 1980

A Short History of PTSD can be found at the link below.
Welcome To Vietnam Veterans of America

 

[High_Gravity]

Troops in Afghanistan face mental health issues, studies say

After an American soldier allegedly killed 16 Afghans in their homes in a horrific shooting spree during the weekend, military officials speaking on condition of anonymity said it was believed the suspect in the slayings had suffered a mental breakdown.

Though the reason for Sunday's tragedy remains under investigation, mental illness has been a persistent and growing problem for members of the military in Afghanistan, according to several recent studies.

Psychological problems recently reached a five-year high among Marines in Afghanistan, according to a study by a mental health advisory team last year. Nearly 20% of the Marines surveyed in Afghanistan reported psychological problems such as severe stress and depression in 2010, twice the rate as in 2005.

As military personnel are sent into combat over and over, their risk of mental health problems grows, the study found. Almost a third of Marines on their third or fourth deployment in Afghanistan reported psychological problems, compared with 14% of Marines deployed for the first time.

The study also found that the Marines who most need help are most averse to getting it. The stigma tied to getting help for mental health problems was roughly twice as strong among Marines suffering psychological problems, with nearly half saying it would make them seem weak, the study said.

Another recent study found that mental disorders and suicide rates in the military surged up between 2004 and 2008. Mental illness rates nearly doubled after troops were sent to Iraq and Afghanistan, the Army Public Health Command found.

"The increase in suicide rates may be viewed as the tip of the 'mental health iceberg,'" the study published last week said.

Troops in Afghanistan face mental health issues, studies say - latimes.com

Not much new about combat vets and PTSD.
The symptoms of PTSD can even be traced back to ancient times.
PTSD and the many issues related to it were not identified until after the Vietnam War.

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) was first defined as a distinct diagnosis in the 3rd edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III), published in 1980

A Short History of PTSD can be found at the link below.
Welcome To Vietnam Veterans of America

Well actually Stinger right now our Military are being asked to go on multiple combat deployments, which is something we haven't really seen in the past, I know in Vietnam you were only asked to go once, maybe twice if you volunteered, now we are dealing with men and women who have deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan 4, 5 , 6 times. From what I am hearing we are in unchartered territory in dealing with the mental scars of our men and women coming back, and keep in mind Afghanistan isn't even done yet, we haven't even touched the tip of the iceberg.

 

[usmcstinger]

Troops in Afghanistan face mental health issues, studies say



Troops in Afghanistan face mental health issues, studies say - latimes.com

Not much new about combat vets and PTSD.
The symptoms of PTSD can even be traced back to ancient times.
PTSD and the many issues related to it were not identified until after the Vietnam War.

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) was first defined as a distinct diagnosis in the 3rd edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III), published in 1980

A Short History of PTSD can be found at the link below.
Welcome To Vietnam Veterans of America

Well actually Stinger right now our Military are being asked to go on multiple combat deployments, which is something we haven't really seen in the past, I know in Vietnam you were only asked to go once, maybe twice if you volunteered, now we are dealing with men and women who have deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan 4, 5 , 6 times. From what I am hearing we are in unchartered territory in dealing with the mental scars of our men and women coming back, and keep in mind Afghanistan isn't even done yet, we haven't even touched the tip of the iceberg.

Your statement regarding multiple deployments to Vietnam is not correct. Some career military could expect 2 or more deployments to Vietnam. There was no endless supply of SR. NCOs and Field Grade Officers to staff Army Divisions deployed to Vietnam, Germany, South Korea and stateside. The Marine Corps had to maintain deployable units of the 2nd Marine Division stationed at Camp Le Jeune, NC as well as the 1st and 3rd Marine Divisions ( the 3rd was reinforced by the 26th Marine Regiment ) deployed in Vietnam. My Plt. Sgt. in Vietnam was deployed a second time a year after he was promoted to Gunnery Sgt. As the career military moved up in rank , their probabilities of being deployed again to Vietnam increased.

When you say I know , you need to be sure that you are correct. Those of us who served in Vietnam are witnesses to history.

 

[editec]

Basically we are blunting the sharp edge of our military by deploying our troops over and over again.

The incident of PTSD is bound to climb.

This is one of the shortcomings of trying to do too much with a smaller all volunteer force.

Not that many people got two 13 month deployments in Viet Nam.


Mostly those who did, as was pointed out, either volunteered for a second deployment in couyntry, or got a promotion or reassignment that put them back in rotation to Viet Nam.

But a LOT of those who served multiple deployments in country, were NOT serving in combat roles, either.

I actually do think that todays combat troops are being rode hard and then rode hard again and again, and THEN put away wet.

 

[uscitizen]

Many had mental health issues anyway.
Why did they volunteer to go to Afghanistan to fight in the first place?

and yes I realize that some were in the military before we invaded Afghanistan, but many were not.

 

[usmcstinger]

Basically we are blunting the sharp edge of our military by deploying our troops over and over again.

The incident of PTSD is bound to climb.

This is one of the shortcomings of trying to do too much with a smaller all volunteer force.

Not that many people got two 13 month deployments in Viet Nam.


Mostly those who did, as was pointed out, either volunteered for a second deployment in couyntry, or got a promotion or reassignment that put them back in rotation to Viet Nam.

But a LOT of those who served multiple deployments in country, were NOT serving in combat roles, either.

I actually do think that todays combat troops are being rode hard and then rode hard again and again, and THEN put away wet.

You mean Vietnam . Do you have a source to back up your statements regarding Vietnam?

Anyone who served in combat and states they were not effected by it are in denial.

Multiple tours of duty in combat, does not increase the number of our military that will suffer from PTSD. However, it is more probable than not that their intensity of PTSD will be higher.

 

[High_Gravity]

Not much new about combat vets and PTSD.
The symptoms of PTSD can even be traced back to ancient times.
PTSD and the many issues related to it were not identified until after the Vietnam War.

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) was first defined as a distinct diagnosis in the 3rd edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III), published in 1980

A Short History of PTSD can be found at the link below.
Welcome To Vietnam Veterans of America

Well actually Stinger right now our Military are being asked to go on multiple combat deployments, which is something we haven't really seen in the past, I know in Vietnam you were only asked to go once, maybe twice if you volunteered, now we are dealing with men and women who have deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan 4, 5 , 6 times. From what I am hearing we are in unchartered territory in dealing with the mental scars of our men and women coming back, and keep in mind Afghanistan isn't even done yet, we haven't even touched the tip of the iceberg.

Your statement regarding multiple deployments to Vietnam is not correct. Some career military could expect 2 or more deployments to Vietnam. There was no endless supply of SR. NCOs and Field Grade Officers to staff Army Divisions deployed to Vietnam, Germany, South Korea and stateside. The Marine Corps had to maintain deployable units of the 2nd Marine Division stationed at Camp Le Jeune, NC as well as the 1st and 3rd Marine Divisions ( the 3rd was reinforced by the 26th Marine Regiment ) deployed in Vietnam. My Plt. Sgt. in Vietnam was deployed a second time a year after he was promoted to Gunnery Sgt. As the career military moved up in rank , their probabilities of being deployed again to Vietnam increased.

When you say I know , you need to be sure that you are correct. Those of us who served in Vietnam are witnesses to history.

I'm sorry I didn't know.

 

[High_Gravity]

Basically we are blunting the sharp edge of our military by deploying our troops over and over again.

The incident of PTSD is bound to climb.

This is one of the shortcomings of trying to do too much with a smaller all volunteer force.

Not that many people got two 13 month deployments in Viet Nam.


Mostly those who did, as was pointed out, either volunteered for a second deployment in couyntry, or got a promotion or reassignment that put them back in rotation to Viet Nam.

But a LOT of those who served multiple deployments in country, were NOT serving in combat roles, either.

I actually do think that todays combat troops are being rode hard and then rode hard again and again, and THEN put away wet.

Basically you are correct, our Military really isn't big enough to cope with all these deployments so we keep using the same people over and over again, which is how we are ending up with people who served 5, 6 tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

 

[High_Gravity]

Many had mental health issues anyway.
Why did they volunteer to go to Afghanistan to fight in the first place?

and yes I realize that some were in the military before we invaded Afghanistan, but many were not.

Everyone has their own reason for enlisting, I don't really get your question though, are you implying these men and women had mental issues before they enlisted?

 

[usmcstinger]

US Citizen said: Many had mental health issues anyway.
Why did they volunteer to go to Afghanistan to fight in the first place?

and yes I realize that some were in the military before we invaded Afghanistan, but many were not.
__________________
Not sorry about that,
Your are a wealth of idiotic statements.

 

[old navy]

Basically we are blunting the sharp edge of our military by deploying our troops over and over again.

The incident of PTSD is bound to climb.

This is one of the shortcomings of trying to do too much with a smaller all volunteer force.

Not that many people got two 13 month deployments in Viet Nam.


Mostly those who did, as was pointed out, either volunteered for a second deployment in couyntry, or got a promotion or reassignment that put them back in rotation to Viet Nam.

But a LOT of those who served multiple deployments in country, were NOT serving in combat roles, either.

I actually do think that todays combat troops are being rode hard and then rode hard again and again, and THEN put away wet.

Basically you are correct, our Military really isn't big enough to cope with all these deployments so we keep using the same people over and over again, which is how we are ending up with people who served 5, 6 tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Easily fixed by increasing end strength which is easily done due to high unemployment. No need for a draft and no need for such a small number of service members to bear the burden of our national defense requirements.

 

[waltky]

Bales brings out military mental issues once again...

US Military's Handling of Brain Injuries, Mental Health in Spotlight
March 30, 2012 - The case of Robert Bales, the U.S. Army staff sergeant accused of murdering 17 Afghan villagers, is drawing attention about how the U.S. military handles brain injuries and mental health issues. Bales suffered a brain injury while serving in Iraq. The case of one veteran and his experience in getting treatment provides a view into the process.

For Will Cook, coming home has been almost as challenging as going to war in Iraq. Doctors believe the 22-year-old former U.S. army specialist is suffering from traumatic brain injury following an explosion. He lost part of his leg and now uses a prosthetic one. His brain is still in the process of healing. “My memory has not been anywhere near what it used to be. Retaining information is difficult. When I try to speak, I draw a blank on words,” said Cook. He complained of anxiety and crippling headaches. Military doctors said it was Post Traumatic Stress Disorder [PTSD].

Cook knew something different was wrong - something physical that doctors did not seem to catch. “They didn’t give me all of my options. I don’t’ think they wanted to try because they thought they’d figured it out. They decided it was PTSD because their one scan didn’t show TBI [traumatic brain injury]." Dr. Stephen Xenakis - a psychiatrist and retired army brigadier general now in private practice - carefully examined Will’s case in a way he said military doctors sometimes do not have the time to do. “You’ve got the culture of the military that is - rightly so - so focused on the mission that they’ve got as many people into combat, on the playing field, as they can,” said Xenakis.

The case of Staff Sergeant Bales has drawn attention to this military hospital on his home base in the state of Washington. The facility is under investigation after hundreds of service members had their PTSD diagnoses reversed - decisions that critics say were motivated by concerns over the high cost of treating mental health issues. The army says the problem is not systematic. Xenakis said money can be a factor in military doctors’ treatment decisions - as can other issues such as experience, time spent with the patient, and sheer luck. “Does that mean there needs to be more sensitivity, that perhaps it’s best to err on the side of over-diagnosing? That’s a question that needs to be considered here,” said Xenakis.

For Cook, more than 30 hyperbaric oxygen treatments have made a difference. “I haven’t had any headaches anymore. The ringing in my ears has stopped. My memory started getting better. I’m retaining information better. Recall of words is better. My anxiety has gone down a lot to a more manageable level." Cook has no plans to return to the military, but he is going on with his life. Just a few months ago, he could not remember simple things like phone numbers. Now, he is getting ready to start college.

Source

 

[9thIDdoc]

I knew guys that kept going back to Vietnam because of the hostile US civilian population and a total inability to fit back into it.

 

[freedombecki]

They're not doing enough to detox our soldiers when they come back home, and some of them do not propel themselves to the local psychiatrist's office when they return to civilian life, thinking all is well when all isn't well.

I know this sounds kind of old-fashioned, but when I was researching Australians for a quilt I made called "Children of the world" in 1991, I ran across a story of World War I times when Australia organized the young women to greet the young men returning home after the war. The men were known as "Diggers" due to their valor in digging in at lone outposts the Allied forces relegated to them, and sticking tight. The women who greeted them when they returned were called "Girl Guides." Each Girl Guide was assigned to one soldier to make him know he was welcome home.

Now, our stupid universities crank out zealous know-it-alls who are trained to persecute our soldiers with every form of snubbery and shunning known to man.

I'm starting to hate American universities because what they're cranking out is so subversive and so radical, they're dividing people in the same country to a bad end.

Universities that proffer this shit are unworthy of our support. Some of them have even banned the ROTC from participating in their campus lives.

WRONG WAY, HOSEA!

 

[mudwhistle]

Troops in Afghanistan face mental health issues, studies say

After an American soldier allegedly killed 16 Afghans in their homes in a horrific shooting spree during the weekend, military officials speaking on condition of anonymity said it was believed the suspect in the slayings had suffered a mental breakdown.

Though the reason for Sunday's tragedy remains under investigation, mental illness has been a persistent and growing problem for members of the military in Afghanistan, according to several recent studies.

Psychological problems recently reached a five-year high among Marines in Afghanistan, according to a study by a mental health advisory team last year. Nearly 20% of the Marines surveyed in Afghanistan reported psychological problems such as severe stress and depression in 2010, twice the rate as in 2005.

As military personnel are sent into combat over and over, their risk of mental health problems grows, the study found. Almost a third of Marines on their third or fourth deployment in Afghanistan reported psychological problems, compared with 14% of Marines deployed for the first time.

The study also found that the Marines who most need help are most averse to getting it. The stigma tied to getting help for mental health problems was roughly twice as strong among Marines suffering psychological problems, with nearly half saying it would make them seem weak, the study said.

Another recent study found that mental disorders and suicide rates in the military surged up between 2004 and 2008. Mental illness rates nearly doubled after troops were sent to Iraq and Afghanistan, the Army Public Health Command found.

"The increase in suicide rates may be viewed as the tip of the 'mental health iceberg,'" the study published last week said.

Troops in Afghanistan face mental health issues, studies say - latimes.com

You should see what they're doing here in Ft Campbell.

 

[sparky]

I'm a tad dubious of how one defines mental health issues

Seems many who are suspect go through years of diagnostics before any definitive clarification is made

in fact, as we seem to have substaintial amounts of psychopharmaceuticals found in our major water supplys , i'd say at first sniff the entire country is nuckin futs, and the troops may well be the sane ones.....

~S~

 

[whitehall]

Why would mental health issues be an issue for US Troops? Maybe because the entire freaking democrat party has been undermining the Military mission for ten years and the president is more like a bystander kissing the enemy's ass rather than the commander-in-chief? Maybe because the US Troops saw NATO bombers obliterate resistance in Libya so that the muslem brotherhood could sweep across the landscape while they were bogged down and risking a court martial if an artillery strike killed a single civilian.