300,000 Vets Have Mental Problems, 320,000 Had Brain Injuries
By Pauline Jelinek
The Associated Press

Thursday 17 April 2008

Washington - Some 300,000 U.S. troops are suffering from major depression or post traumatic stress from serving in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and 320,000 received brain injuries, a new study estimates.

Only about half have sought treatment, said the study released Thursday by the RAND Corporation.

"There is a major health crisis facing those men and women who have served our nation in Iraq and Afghanistan," said Terri Tanielian, the project's co-leader and a researcher at the nonprofit RAND.

"Unless they receive appropriate and effective care for these mental health conditions, there will be long-term consequences for them and for the nation," she said in an interview with The Associated Press.

The 500-page study is the first large-scale, private assessment of its kind - including a survey of 1,965 service members across the country, from all branches of the armed forces and including those still in the military as well veterans who have left the services.

Its results appear consistent with a number of mental health reports from within the government, though the Defense Department has not released the number of people it has diagnosed or who are being treated for mental problems. The Department of Veterans Affairs said this month that its records show about 120,000 who served in the two wars and are no longer in the military have been diagnosed with mental health problems. Of the 120,000, approximately 60,000 are suffering from PTSD, the VA said.

Veterans Affairs is responsible for care of service members after they have left the service, while the Defense Department covers active duty and reservist needs. The lack of information from the Pentagon was one motivation for the RAND study, Tanielian said.

The most prominent and detailed military study on mental health that is released is the Army's survey of soldiers at the warfront. Officials said last month that it's most recent one, done last fall, found 18.2 percent of soldiers suffered a mental health problem such as depression, anxiety or acute stress in 2007 compared with 20.5 percent the previous year.

The Rand study, completed in January, put the percentage of PTSD and depression at 18.5 percent, calculating that approximately 300,000 current and former service members were suffering from those problems at the time of its survey, which was completed in January.

The figure is based on Pentagon data showing over 1.6 million military personnel have deployed to the conflicts since the war in Afghanistan began in late 2001.

RAND researchers also found:

About 19 percent - or some 320,000 services members - reported that they experienced a possible traumatic brain injury while deployed. In wars where blasts from roadside bombs are prevalent, the injuries can range from mild concussions to severe head wounds.


About 7 percent reported both a probable brain injury and current PTSD or major depression.


Only 43 percent reported ever being evaluated by a physician for their head injuries.


Only 53 percent of service members with PTSD or depression sought help over the past year.


They gave various reasons for not getting help, including that they worried about the side effects of medication; believe family and friends could help them with the problem, or that they feared seeking care might damage their careers.


Rates of PTSD and major depression were highest among women and reservists.
The report is titled "Invisible Wounds of War: Psychological and Cognitive Injuries, Their Consequences, and Services to Assist Recovery." It was sponsored by a grant from the California Community Foundation and done by 25 researchers from RAND Health and the RAND National Security Research Division, which also has done does work under contracts with the Pentagon and other defense agencies as well as allied foreign governments and foundations.



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On the Web:
RAND Corporation: http://www.rand.org

Army studies: http://www.armymedicine.army.mil

I wonder how the men who served in europe and the pacific in ww2 survived won the war came home and built their lives and this country. Now the battles they went through were just as bad as any in iraq and afghanistan. I have talked to a number of them and of course it was never good.
Im not saying that anyone who was wounded should not be given the medical care they need. Of course they should and i believe are getting that care.
i personally know guys who served in iraq and afghanistan and are all right. None had their legs blown off or any terrible wounds such as that. But they were in the thick of things.
i think the difference between ww2 and the present day is that in ww2 everyone was actually supporting the United states and its soldiers and when those soldiers came back they were greeted with gratitude by the american people unlike today when most left wing types have no use for american soldiers.

Looks to me like what Duane is saying, is that the War has nothing to do with the Mental Illnesses that these Soldiers have been Diagnosed with. Also that there's No such thing as PTSD or TBI. Blames it all on the Left Wing.

Basically is also saying that these guys are all liars and Freeloaders and unless they are missing a Leg or an Arm they should just get over it and they don't deserve to go to the VA.

Well,,if that be the case Duane, than you forgot to mention John McCain. Hes been in that Bunch of fakers and freeloaders for many years. You can't just set back on your Republican Thrown and just accuse part of them and let McCain Skate.

I mean if your going to be a true Anti-Vet you can't omit your party favorites.

What you don't know is that there is problem with care for the New Vets coming into the system. In fact, on the 16th of this month Sec. Gates just testified to that fact and said, "He was not happy with the care of the returning Troops trying to seek care at the VA"!

If there's such thing as Brain Injuries out there, I think that You have the worst of all, "Its called TOTAL IGNORANCE".

I suggest you go to the VA site and down load the new 154 page copy of the "Veterans Handbook" and read it.

If you do that at least you might have some little amount of Knowledge and not look like such a FOOL in ALL your posts pertaining to Veterans Issues!

I really don't have much hope on that because in your case "Once a Dumb A$$ always a Dumb A$$!

"I wonder how the men who served in europe and the pacific in ww2 survived won the war came home and built their lives and this country" - Duane
Duane here is an answer to your question from one WWII veterans perspective. Guess he was just a freeloading malingerer.
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Audie Leon Murphy, son of poor Texas sharecroppers, rose to national fame as the most decorated U.S. combat soldier of World War II. Among his 33 awards and decorations was the Medal of Honor, the highest military award for bravery that can be given to any individual in the United States of America, for "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty." He also received every decoration for valor that his country had to offer, some of them more than once, including 5 decorations by France and Belgium. Credited with either killing over 240 of the enemy while wounding and capturing many others, he became a legend within the 3rd Infantry Division. Beginning his service as an Army Private, Audie quickly rose to the enlisted rank of Staff Sergeant, was given a "battle field" commission as 2nd Lieutenant, was wounded three times, fought in 9 major campaigns across the European Theater, and survived the war.
During Murphy's 3 years active service as a combat soldier in World War II, Audie became one of the best fighting combat soldiers of this or any other century. What Audie accomplished during this period is most significant and probably will never be repeated by another soldier, given today's high-tech type of warfare. The U.S. Army has always declared that there will never be another Audie Murphy.

On 21 September, 1945, Audie was released from the Army as an active member and reassigned to inactive status. During this same time, actor James Cagney invited Murphy to Hollywood in September 1945, when he saw Murphy's photo on the cover of Life Magazine. The next couple of years in California were hard times for Audie Murphy. Struggling and becoming disillusioned from lack of work while sleeping in a local gymnasium, he finally received token acting parts in his first two films.

His first starring role came in a 1949 released film by Allied Artists called, Bad Boy. In 1950 Murphy eventually got a contract with Universal-International (later called Universal) where he starred in 26 films, 23 of them westerns over the next 15 years. His 1949 autobiography To Hell And Back was a best seller. Murphy starred as himself in a film biography released by Universal-International in 1955 with the same title. The movie, To Hell and Back, held the record as Universal's highest grossing picture until 1975 when it was finally surpassed by the movie Jaws. In the mid-60s the studios switched from contract players to hiring actors on a picture-by-picture basis. Consequently, when his contract expired in 1965 Universal did not renew. This gave him the opportunity to work with other studios and independent film producers. In the 25 years that Audie spent in Hollywood, he made a total of 44 feature films.

Despite his success in Hollywood, Audie never forgot his rural Texas roots. He returned frequently to the Dallas area where he owned a small ranch for a while. He also had ranches in Perris, California and near Tucson, Arizona. He was a successful Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racehorse owner and breeder, having interests in such great horses as "Depth Charge." His films earned him close to 3 million dollars in 23 years as an actor. Audie loved to gamble, and he bet on horses and different sporting events. He was also a great poker player. In his role as a prodigious gambler, he won and lost fortunes.

Audie Murphy wrote some poetry and was quite successful as a songwriter. He usually teamed up with talented artists and composers such as Guy Mitchell, Jimmy Bryant, Scott Turner, Coy Ziegler, or Terri Eddleman. Dozens of Audie Murphy's songs were recorded and released by such great performers as Dean Martin, Eddy Arnold, Charley Pride, Jimmy Bryant, Porter Waggoner, Jerry Wallace, Roy Clark, Harry Nilsson and many, many others. His two biggest hits were Shutters and Boards and When the Wind Blows in Chicago. Eddy Arnold recorded When the Wind Blows in Chicago for his 1993 album Last of the Love Song Singers which is currently in release by RCA.

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Audie sufferred from what is now known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)and was plagued by insomnia and depression. During the mid-60's he became dependent for a time on doctor prescribed sleeping pills called Placidyl. When he recognized that he had become addicted to this prescription drug, he locked himself in a motel room, stopped taking the sleeping pills and went through withdrawal symptoms for a week. Always an advocate for the needs of veterans, he broke the taboo about discussing war related mental problems after this experience. In a effort to draw attention to the problems of returning Korean and Vietnam War veterans, Audie Murphy spoke-out candidly about his personal problems with PTSD, then known as "Battle Fatigue". He publicly called for United States government to give more consideration and study to the emotional impact war has on veterans and to extend health care benefits to address PTSD and other mental health problems of returning war vets.
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While on a business trip on May 28, 1971, (Memorial Day Weekend) he was killed at the age of 46. A private plane flying in fog and rain crashed in the side of a mountain near Roanoke, Virginia. Five others including the pilot were also killed. Although Audie owned and flew his own plane earlier in his career at Hollywood, he was among the passengers that tragic day.

On June 7th, Audie Murphy was buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery. His gravesite, near the Amphitheater, is second most visited gravesite year round. President Kennedy's grave is the most visited.

In 1996 the Texas Legislature officially designated his birthday, June 20th, as Audie Murphy Day. On June 9, 1999 Governor George W. Bush, Texas made a similar proclation declaring June 20th to officially be Audie Murphy Day in the state of Texas.
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Duane: Please pay special attention to the paragraph bracketed by ******************
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In regards to the people you knew - I also knew WWII Veterans, and their families. Many families had an "Uncle Joe" who was "never the same happy-go-lucky kid who went to war." He eventually died young, in a car accident, while drunk. Or maybe his marraige broke up because "he was abusive." He could have been the guy who "was never able to hold a steady job." Maybe he was one day found hanging from a rope, or he blew his brains out with a shotgun. He also could have died young of cirrosis of the liver, or a hundred other diseases which were not thought to be related to his war experience.
Maybe he held his job for thirty years because his co-workers overlooked his frequent temper outbursts, and absenteeism. No doubt he had a couple of DUIs. He probably did not recognize his problem until he could no longer say "There's nothing wrong with me. I hold a steady job, and make a good living."
I guess you never knew any of those guys, did you Duane?

Bill has it right, Duane. The fact that it was stigmatized and not talked about absolutely does NOT mean that nobody suffered PTSD after WWII. My mother's brother was a POW of the Germans after his bomber was shot down. He had a fairly successful life, but he definitely had symptoms of PTSD.

I had PTSD myself, though I am sure that most people would say that I have done pretty well with my life - those people only see the surfaces and do not know what the years have been like for me.

Likewise, there have been some WWII vets, though, just like there are some Viet Nam vets, who did not adjust well and for whom the syptoms were bad enough to interfere with, or even destroy their daily lives. My grandfather's baby brother was one of those who came back from WWII changed. He got a job, got married - and then began to fall apart. Eventually, he got some kind of VA assistance.

The fact that you do not see something does not mean that it does not exist. I know that this is a difficult concept for you. But things occur in the world even when you are not personally aware of them.


The majority of the 300,000 men mentioned in this article will also adjust sufficiently that they will get through life more or less okay - but even the "successful" ones will suffer. And those who do not ad

FACT:

Since 2000, the number of World War II veterans collecting disability from stress-related causes has risen 50 percent -- from 16,914 to 24,268 -- despite the deaths of 2 million veterans in that time.

FACT:

Out of the Total number of men coming back from the Current war effected with PTSD only 19% will seek Treatment due to the fear that they will be stigmatized and labeled Crazy.
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My opinion is the returning troops are NOT getting the care that they deserve. There needs to be more Outreach towards these Men and Women and that Outreach needs to be Started at the time or before their Discharge.

The Government needs to stop worrying about things like the cost of Medical Retirement and future Medical costs. Putting cost before the Health issues of these New Troops is ridiculous!

Someone neglected to tell George Bush that part of the cost of war is taking care of the Health Needs of the People that fight in that war!

No doubt in my mind that he didn't know this from the get go, what pisses me off is he won't do anything to advocate improved Veterans care. Instead he appoints One Commission after another to report on it and then looks for the Cheapest Solution AND THEN DOES NOTHING!

In the end, if and when this Current War is over the resulting Veterans Care will cost more than the whole war did. The President then will have to hand over a BLANK CHECK to pay for the years of neglect by this Current Administration.

Thank you SSGMike, Jinks, JackB, Maddoc...






Joy

Jinx i said that anyone who was wounded should be taken care of and i believe they are. War is stressful. the men who.. fought in our civil war were under stress as bad as anyone has ever endured . the revolution war any war all were stressful
Just living life is stressful.
Up here there is a guy who served on a supply ship during the vietnam war. He developed some sort of blood disease . Now this ship he served on did carry (as i understand it) drums of the chemical 24d, 245t
that the military labeled agent orange.
He got help from the v a but he also as a civilian worked for years handling those same chemicals Spraying weeds. Now no doubt you guys will say that being on that ship that had sealed drums of those chemicals was far more dagerous and caused his problem. Him working with and breathing in those fumes from those very same chemicals would not have anything to do with it.
What happpens if this country is invaded .You people will not allow any american to repel the invaders because someone may contact some sort of malady or possibly be hurt. You will let this country be surrendered and then everyone will be killed.

Jinx you should be ashamed ofyourself accusing John mccain of being a freeloader. HE served as a navy pilot was shot down over north vietnam broke his legs was bayonteted in the groin. Tortured all that time . When the north vietnamese offered to let him go because they found out that his father was CINCPAC. He refused AND he stayed there. Would you have done that? i doubt it . You people always accuse me of not being grateful to veterans . I am .
I have said that war id very stressful and any one wounded should be taken care of and i believe they are. Now this is the part all you people being far left wing like Barack HUSSIEN Obama wont accept . There is such a thing as personal responsibility.
Thats what you cant understand. People have a responsibility to not become drug addicts alcoholics. and if they do they can be helped if they want help but some do not want help.
The only way that this country can prevent its citizens from becoming harmed by war is if it is never defended

Jinks...how can you speak so badly re John McCain..who is famous for talking out of both sides of his mouth...who dumped his first wife who was in a wheelchair and gained weight while he was away and found him a nice sleek, pill popping model (getting her drugs from a charity she funded..and she is rich so guess she wanted to stay that way. Such an upfront guy who is now a Baptist since down south...although raised Episcoplian and added their schools....but no record of Baptist baptism, which is essential in that church..Member of the Keating 5 and sent bday regrets to Joseph Bananos...heck of a nice guy who admits adultry ended his first marriage...
So, Jinks...you better be nice about John McCain...Clinton is a bad guy (cause he got caught!!)McCain is famous for not keeping his pants zipped...
Oh yeah, he is a VN Vet...so that makes him a saint..regardless of what kind of person he is...just ask numb nuts!!

Joy

Duane

Read my post, I said that if YOUR going to call Veterans that are compensated for PTSD, Freeloaders like YOU HAVE in the past including calling me that on more than one occasion, than YOU cannot OMIT John McCain like you are doing. You can't single out certain Veterans from a group and then give your favorites a free pass.

For the record I believe, ANY Veteran that receives VA Care and Compensation EARNED it and deserves it! No Questions asked! Also no one will ever hear me trivialising PTSD or the effects it has on Veterans LIKE YOU DO!

If there's anyone here that should be ashamed of his statements towards Veterans, ITS YOU!

One other thing, don't try and Play your Grammar School Word games with me because, Your simply not Good Enough, especially if its on VA Issues in which you have NO KNOLEDGE of What so ever!!

duane have you ever checked into McCains voting record on Veteran issues, he really is not a good friend of the military.

His track record is not to good.

In mid 2007, Senator Reid noted that McCain missed 10 of the past 14 votes on Iraq. However, here is a summary of a dozen votes (two that he missed and ten that he voted against) with respect to Iraq, funding for veterans or for troops, including equipment and armor. I have also included other snippets related to the time period when the vote occurred.

http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/articleid/9559

Thanks Mike. I added the website to my links page.