Iraqi War Causing Heavy Mental Health Casualties

Iraqi War Causing Heavy Mental Health Casualties

"This type of war -- insurgency warfare -- where you don't know whether you're going to be the next victim of a car bomb or roadside bomb or RPG, it's like fighting in Vietnam when I was in the Mekong Delta," Principi said, using the military acronym for rocket-propelled grenade. "You don't know whether you're getting into an ambush with guerrillas.

"I think we're going to see a significant amount of PTSD. We need to be ready for that."

Of 168,000 service members who had served in Iraq and been discharged as of July 22, about 28,000 had sought medical care from the VA, according to the department's most recent statistics. Of those, about 5,400 had mental health issues and nearly one-in-three of those suffered from PTSD, which can include debilitating flashbacks, nightmares, anxiety and uncontrollable anger.

I find myself deeply sadden when I read this report. I guess I knew this already, but the impact of the truth in print cuts through the emotional denial. This is the same sort of war fought in Vietnam. I had many friends with severe PTSD and know that disorder to be a particularly insidious one. Many who will return from Iraq will never be the same person. Repeated trauma gives a person a hair trigger startle response. This can lead directly to rash behavior, verbal and physical abusiveness, and a live time of periodic immobilizing anxiety.

The other thing that makes these symptoms worse is when support that is so badly needed is unavailable. After Vietnam returnees were booed as "baby killers" I think this nation learned a lesson. But its not going to make it any easier that this Country is so divided over the war and that there is good reason to believe their sacrifice was without sufficient reason.


Iraqi War takes mental health toll

Detroit Free Press - September 29, 2004

WASHINGTON -- The violent guerrilla tactics used by insurgents in Iraq will take a considerable toll on the mental health of troops, resulting in a lifetime of disability payments for many of those who return from war, U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony Principi said Tuesday.

So far, 20 percent of Iraq veterans who have sought VA health care did so for mental health issues, VA officials said. They expect those numbers to grow since many who suffer post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental illnesses haven't yet sought care.

Paying to compensate the new veterans is sure to add to the $600 billion the government expects to spend in disability payments over the next three decades.

"This type of war -- insurgency warfare -- where you don't know whether you're going to be the next victim of a car bomb or roadside bomb or RPG, it's like fighting in Vietnam when I was in the Mekong Delta," Principi said, using the military acronym for rocket-propelled grenade. "You don't know whether you're getting into an ambush with guerrillas.

"I think we're going to see a significant amount of PTSD. We need to be ready for that."

Of 168,000 service members who had served in Iraq and been discharged as of July 22, about 28,000 had sought medical care from the VA, according to the department's most recent statistics. Of those, about 5,400 had mental health issues and nearly one-in-three of those suffered from PTSD, which can include debilitating flashbacks, nightmares, anxiety and uncontrollable anger.

Dr. Matthew Friedman, executive director of the VA's National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and a Dartmouth professor of psychiatry, said the ambush tactics of the insurgency potentially expose a greater percentage of soldiers to the kinds of stresses that cause PTSD.

Only time will tell, he said, exactly how many veterans of the Iraq war will be afflicted.

A major study of Vietnam veterans found that about 31 percent of men and 27 percent of women had suffered from PTSD at some point after their return from the war.

Studies of other wars have found the prevalence of PTSD ranging between 8 and 12 percent, Friedman said.

As of Tuesday morning, 7,532 service members had been wounded in action in Iraq and 1,051 had been killed, according to Department of Defense statistics.

The newest group of veterans will add to the bill already incurred by the VA to compensate veterans disabled in previous wars.

The disability compensation program provides monthly payments to veterans injured in the service of their country. The payments generally last the lifetime of the veteran.

Additional benefits are available to compensate surviving spouses and children.

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This news story is not produced by the American Psychological Association and does not necessarily represent the opinions of the association.