A recent study findings have disclosed that the rate of increase in the self reported post-traumatic stress disorders among the combat-exposed military personnel since 2001 has gone up by almost three times.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorders

Health implications of the military deployments are increasingly becoming causes of concerns the world over. According to the estimated given by several other studies more than 30% of the Vietnam war veterans were exposed to the post-traumatic stress disorders at various stages of the war and its follow ups. Similarly, almost 10% of the Gulf war veterans also reported having undergone the post-traumatic stress disorders even many years after the war was over.

Researchers conducted an analysis on almost 50,000 military personnel in San Diego and made attempts to study the effects of such military deployments who participated in the ‘Millennium Cohort Study’, a US health study of military personnel that lasted for more than 22 years.

For a time period between the years June 2001 and June 2003, the period of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the base line data was collected and military participant personnel were surveyed after three years between a time period of June 2004 and February 2006.

Researchers also measured the post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms on the basis of specified criteria and some other factors like problems due to smoking and alcohol consumption. Analysis of these data revealed that the status of reporting post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms was up to 87 per 1000 combat-deployed personnel and up to 21 per 1000 non-combat-deployed personnel. These new onset symptoms were comparably higher in the female personnel and even more acute in the divorced, enlisted, current smokers, and drinkers.

Symptoms were persisting in almost 40% to 50% of the combat exposed military personnel. This is an indication that the post-traumatic stress disorders may not be persisting for several years after the deployments.

These data analysis also demonstrate that an overall new incidence rates of 10 to 13 cases per 1000 person years stands as triple increase in the self reported post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms or diagnosis among recently deployed military personnel with combat exposures.

The study highlights that although general prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder in the military is not high, a substantial increase in the new cases can not be ruled out. It is more expected among the military personnel who were deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Researchers suggested that the problem could be thwarted if such cases can be identified early. It would be better to provide the affected personnel with treatments at right time. Researchers also impressed upon the need of future researches in order to understand “the resiliency and vulnerability to post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms among combat deployees”.

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