PTSD

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Stress Disorder Surges Among US Troops

Number of diagnosed cases rises 46% to 14,000 last year

(Newser) - Post-traumatic stress disorder is surging among US troops sent to Iraq and Afghanistan. New cases rose by more than 46% to nearly 14,000 in 2007, reports Reuters. In the last five years, about 40,000 cases have been diagnosed, most of them in the Army.

Debate Swirls Over Purple Heart for PTSD

Proponents say honor would reduce stigma; medal devalued, foes counter

(Newser) - Members of the US military are debating whether Purple Heart medals should go to troops with post-traumatic stress disorder, the Military Times reports. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said, "It’s clearly something that needs to be looked at,” but foes argue it would devalue the honor for...

'Virtual Iraq' Helps Vets Face Stress

Treatment drags soldiers back to moments of crisis

(Newser) - Therapists are plunging US war veterans back into the horrors of battle—as therapy. A virtual reality treatment is helping them cope with post-traumatic stress disorder by returning them to scarring events until their shock value wanes. "When the ground starts vibrating and you smell smoke and hear the...

VA Doctor Discouraged Post-Traumatic Diagnoses

Email urged staffers to save disability costs

(Newser) - A team leader at a veterans' medical center in Texas sent staffers an email urging them to avoid diagnosing post-traumatic stress disorder, the Washington Post reports. "Given that we are having more and more compensation-seeking veterans, I'd like to suggest that you refrain from giving a diagnosis of PTSD...

'Sorry' Gates: We Let Down Our Soldiers

He regrets poor treatment for Iraq, Afghanistan vets

(Newser) - Defense Secretary Robert Gates admitted yesterday that the US military made mistakes in taking care of soldiers back from Afghanistan and Iraq, reports Reuters. He said he regretted that veterans had received inadequate care for physical and mental problems, particularly those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Gates also acknowledged that...

Military Families Sue VA Over Suicides

Agency doesn't do enough for veterans' mental health, suit says

(Newser) - Veterans Affairs hasn’t done enough to stem the “rising tide” of suicides and mental health problems, according to a class action lawsuit going to trial this week. Roughly 20% of deployed US troops are suffering from mental illness, a recent study shows, and an average of 18 kill...

Mental Disorders Huge Issue for US Troops

300K have depression or stress from combat, and half don't seek help

(Newser) - 300,000 veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars have either post-traumatic stress disorder or major depression, and another 320,000 suffered brain injuries, the AP reports. RAND Corporation, in the first private evaluation of mental injury from the conflicts, found 18.5% of combat troops suffered from major depression...

Tiny Shocks Win by a Nose
Tiny Shocks
Win by a Nose
Mar 28, 2008 4:00 PM CDT

Tiny Shocks Win by a Nose

Sense of smell shows electric response; technique could help PTSD patients

(Newser) - Electric shocks can sharpen the sense of smell, a finding that suggests new ways of altering sensory perception, the Chicago Tribune reports. MRIs showed subjects’ brains actually changing after researchers administered tiny shocks, which improved their ability to distinguish between similar smells. Because many psychological conditions relate to the senses,...

$100K Virginia Tech Offer Slammed as 'Insult' to Victims

Proposed settlement aims to head off lawsuits over university massacre

(Newser) - The state of Virginia is offering $100,000 to each family of the 32 students and teachers killed by a lone gunman in the Virginia Tech massacre, the Virginian-Pilot reports. If accepted, the settlement would prevent families from suing the state for negligence. One attorney called the offer "for...

Gene Linked to Stress Disorder
Gene Linked
to Stress Disorder
Mar 19, 2008 11:16 AM CDT

Gene Linked to Stress Disorder

Could explain why some soldiers are more susceptible

(Newser) - A gene that may influence an individual's susceptibility to post-traumatic stress disorder has been identified by psychologists at Emory University, Time reports. A study of low-income African-American adults in the Atlanta area, 80% of whom had experienced trauma, found that certain versions of a gene were linked to higher PTSD...

9/11 Illnesses Haunt Journalists
 9/11 Illnesses Haunt Journalists 
Mar 12, 2008 11:52 AM CDT

9/11 Illnesses Haunt Journalists

Those who covered Ground Zero report breathing problems, other ailments

(Newser) - The helicopter ride through the burning World Trader Center's thick, chemical-laden smoke won Keith Meyers' 9/11 photos a share of the Pulitzer, but he says it cost him his health and career. "I could feel my skin tingling and burning," recalls the former New York Times photographer. Like...

Homeless Vets Spark Outcry: Haven't We Learned?

1,500 back from Iraq now in poverty

(Newser) - Iraq war veterans are suffering from stress, turning to alcohol, and falling into poverty—a fate that prompts some to ask whether the US has learned from tragedies of veterans past. Washington has identified 1,500 Iraq vets as homeless and helped about a third, but echoes of Vietnam persist...

PTSD: Vets Wage Internal Wars
PTSD: Vets Wage Internal Wars
Jan 13, 2008 10:04 PM CST

PTSD: Vets Wage Internal Wars

Combat trauma continues to plague returning soldiers

(Newser) - Records of post-traumatic stress disorder go as far back as The Odyssey, and Iraq veterans are adding to the list. Combat trauma has been repeatedly linked with rates of unemployment, substance abuse, domestic violence and criminality above the national average. Yet  PTSD victims aren't getting the treatment they need, and...

Vets' Mental Issues Slow to Surface: Study

Troops more likely to report disorders 3-6 months after return from combat

(Newser) - US troops report worse mental health several months after returning from Iraq than immediately after getting home, an Army study shows. Upon return home, one general said, “you’re almost euphoric,” but later “the stress starts to resurface.” The study also found that National Guard reservists...

Photographer Haunted by Iraq Death
Photographer Haunted by Iraq Death
Nov 4, 2007 7:31 AM CST

Photographer Haunted by Iraq Death

Did a soldier die so he could get a picture, he wonders in talk about book

(Newser) - Photographer Ashley Gilbertson tried to be as emotionally removed as possible while working in Iraq, but once he let soldiers protect him as he ran to get a close-up. There was a shot, Gilbertson felt blood; one of the men protecting him was killed. It's something he has deeply regretted...

Brain Holds Stress-Coping Mechanism
Brain Holds Stress-Coping Mechanism
Oct 21, 2007 9:38 AM CDT

Brain Holds Stress-Coping Mechanism

Scientists find chemical that's key to keeping your cool—or not

(Newser) - Turns out keeping your cool really is all in your head—scientists now pinpoint those most susceptible to stress as having too much of a chemical in a region of the brain that regulates reward signals, Reuters reports. The discovery could shed light on treatments for PTSD and depression, which...

Veteran Stress Cases Surge
Veteran Stress Cases Surge
Oct 19, 2007 6:20 AM CDT

Veteran Stress Cases Surge

VA took on 20,000 new cases—up 70% —in one year

(Newser) - The Department of Veterans Affairs reported treating 20,000 new cases of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in a 12-month period ending in June, up an astounding 70% from the same time the previous year, reports USA Today. The VA counts a total of nearly 50,000 PTSD cases, and expects the...

Long Combat Tours Take Mental Toll
Long Combat Tours Take Mental Toll
Aug 3, 2007 5:48 AM CDT

Long Combat Tours Take Mental Toll

Brit Study: Alcoholism, post traumatic stress soar after 13 months

(Newser) - Soldiers who serve extended tours in combat zones have much higher rates of alcoholism, post traumatic stress syndrome and problems at home, a large British study has found. Of those in war zones for more than 13 months over three years, one in four had "severe" alcohol problems, compared...

Injured GIs Pledged Better Care
Injured GIs Pledged Better Care
Jul 26, 2007 5:25 AM CDT

Injured GIs Pledged Better Care

Commission calls for overhaul of military health system

(Newser) - The military health care system is inadequate to treat the casualties of  two modern wars and the nation should immediately move to overhaul it, a bipartisan presidential commission concluded yesterday. The panel called for improvements in treatment of brain injuries and post traumatic stress syndrome, as well as changes in...

Army Hospital MIA on Stress Disorders

Walter Reed lacks resources to cope with growing problem

(Newser) - Though 20 to 40 soldiers are sent home from Iraq each month with severe mental problems, the Army's largest hospital has no post-traumatic stress disorder center, reports the Washington Post. There is also a severe shortage of doctors qualified to treat these patients. Not long ago, the head of psychiatry...

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