An extensive study of the British military found that thousands of frontline veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan face escalating mental health problems, alcoholism, and a family breakdown. The report in the British Medical Journal Online states that prolonged periods in conflict are linked to higher levels of post traumatic stress disorder, psychological distress and problems at home.
Now many of us know of, and have followed, the reports of what the DoD has been doing in diagnosing many returning U.S. Military Personal with pre-existing conditions when these soldiers file claims or seek help for the trauma's they are now suffering from what they have experianced In-Theater Iraq and Afganistan.
Many of us Vets, from our previous misadventures, know of many civilian researchers and related professions, along with veterans who went into these professions knowing and understanding what their fellow vets were going through and were seeking a better understanding of the syndrom so they could help their brothers better, who have done extensive study in the area's of PTSD and related mental issues as to the effects of War on the partcipants and the civilians who live through Man's Hell On Earth.
I'm baked from work and the continuing heat, so mind isn't registering the thoughts it should. Below you'll find snippets of this study, with little commentary from me. Some may want to visit the site for furthering their knowledge though, I would suggest it.
And while you're visiting keep in mind that this government, Us, seem to give only verbal concern with our statements that we should be funding extensive studies into subjects like Combat PTSD, yet we loose interest and rarely carry through on our promises, probably because they come from our Representatives, who we hire, and than are quickly put out of our minds. But we who serve know full well what many are going through!
Research
Mental health consequences of overstretch in the UK armed forces: first phase of a cohort study
BMJ, doi:10.1136/bmj.39274.585752.BE (published 30 July 2007)
Objective
To assess the relation between frequency and duration of deployment of UK armed forces personnel on mental health.
Participants
Operational history in past three years of a randomly chosen stratified sample of 5547 regulars with experience of deployment.
Now the timeframes of deployment should set off that little bulb in your heads. Think 'Nam and 12 month tours and having to volunteer, for the greater majority, for any further In-Theater duty.
Results
Personnel who were deployed for 13 months or more in the past three years were more likely to fulfil the criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder (odds ratio 1.55, 95% confidence interval 1.07 to 2.32), show caseness on the general health questionnaire (1.35, 1.10 to 1.63), and have multiple physical symptoms (1.49, 1.19 to 1.87). A significant association was found between duration of deployment and severe alcohol problems. Exposure to combat partly accounted for these associations. The associations between number of deployments in the past three years and mental disorders were less consistent than those related to duration of deployment. Post-traumatic stress disorder was also associated with a mismatch between expectations about the duration of deployment and the reality.
Conclusions
A clear and explicit policy on the duration of each deployment of armed forces personnel may reduce the risk of post-traumatic stress disorder. An association was found between deployment for more than a year in the past three years and mental health that might be explained by exposure to combat.
Introduction
British commanders have raised concerns about the ability of the armed forces to cope with simultaneous major operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the UK armed forces have been asked to do more than was envisaged in the most recent defence review.
Methods
This study is based on the first phase of a cohort study of UK armed forces personnel in which we compared the mental and physical health of those deployed to Iraq between 18 January and 28 April 2003 with those who were in the armed forces but not deployed to Iraq.
Now they have a few tables to view with the descriptions below, visit site to view:
Table 1 Duration and frequency of deployments since 2000 for about a three year period, by service and combat role (regulars only). Values are numbers (percentages)
Table 2 Association between duration and number of deployments since 2000, for about a three year period, and problems at home during and after deployment (n=5547)
Table 3 Prevalence and association between duration and number of deployments since 2000, for about a three year period, and psychological symptoms, adjusted for confounders and explanatory factors (n=5547)
Table 4 Association between difference of expected and actual duration of last deployment and psychological symptoms
Conclusions
Our results indicate that adherence to a clear and explicit policy on duration of each deployment may have beneficial effects on mental health. Overstretch in the UK armed forces may have consequences on problems at home, and deterioration of psychological health may be more apparent in those directly exposed to combat.
What is already known on this topic
UK armed forces are being deployed more often than previously, so called overstretch
To allow objective monitoring the UK armed forces have recommended maximum deployment levels, called harmony guidelines
What this study adds
Duration of deployment above established guidelines is associated with more mental health problems
Combat exposure, type of deployment, and problems at home partly account for these associations
An association was found between expectation that duration of most recent deployment would be shorter than it actually was and post-traumatic stress disorder
At the bottom of the above study you will find the related article link along with a long list of referance material related to the above study.
Mental health screening in armed forces before the Iraq war and prevention of subsequent psychological morbidity: follow-up study
BMJ 2006 333: 991.
What is already known on this topic
Since the aftermath of the first world war there has been an ongoing discussion on the benefits of screening military personnel for mental health vulnerability before deployment
What this study adds
Screening before deployment has a low predictability for most common mental health conditions
The predictability of screening for post-traumatic stress disorder is higher than for any other mental health problem
As the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder is low before deployment, screening for the condition would be inappropriate despite a moderately high predictability
In this second report I found this, Since the aftermath of the first world war there has been an ongoing discussion on the benefits of screening military personnel for mental health vulnerability before deployment, an extremely interesting statement!
At the bottom of this second report ou will find a few more related studies, and again, a listing of referance links for the above.
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