According to recent studies, at least one-fourth of military personnel returning from duty in Afghanistan and Iraq hace reiceved a diagnosis od posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); approximately 10-15% of these vterans will experience significant symptoms. Whether the causes stem from a more complex environment in these post-9/11 war zones, or from more survivability because of improved body armor, better medical care, and more sophisticated diagnosis, the prevalence of PTSD and other war-related stress disorders among returning military personnel is on the rise. Veterans of any war face major challenges reintegrating into civilian society, but these challenges become much more complex with an accompanying stress disorder. And the new demographic profile of today's militsry - more female, more married, and more ethnically diverse - means that troops on and off the battlefield are more vulnerable to combat and noncombat stressors, the latter inlcuding sexual abuse. Suicide rates among these veterans are at an alarming high. The higher prevalence of these deployment-related stress disorders also has troubling ramifications among the parents, spouses, and children of these veterans. |
