IOM Report on PTSD Released
Military service in a war zone may have an increased chance of developing
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), other anxiety disorders, and depression, according to Gulf War and Health: Volume 6. Physiologic, Psychologic, and Psychosocial Effects of Deployment-Related Stress, a report from the Institute of Medicine. Serving in a war also increases the chances of alcohol abuse, accidental death, and suicide within the first few years after leaving the war zone, and marital and family conflict, including domestic violence, said the committee that wrote the report. The new report was requested by the Department of Veterans Affairs, which asked for a comprehensive analysis of the scientific and medical evidence that connect deployment-related stress and long-term health problems, with a special focus on veterans of the 1991 Gulf War. The report documented a wide range
of Gulf War stressors, including Scud missile and artillery attack; contact with enemy prisoners of war or dead animals; direct combat duty; seeing someone killed or wounded; worry about chemical weapon attacks; separation from family; sexual assault; having a combat related injury; and the length of deployment.
The report indicates that chronic pain; chronic fatigue syndrome; drug abuse; fibromyalgia; gastrointestinal symptoms; incarceration; skin diseases; and unexplained illnesses also may be associated with the stresses of being in a war, but the evidence to support these links is weaker. For other health problems and adverse effects reviewed, the scientific data are lacking or contradictory; the IOM committee could not decide if links between these ailments and deployment-related stress exist. Although the report cannot offer definitive answers about the connections between many health problems and the stressors of war, it is clear that veterans who were deployed to war zones self-report more medical conditions and poorer health than veterans who were not deployed. Those who were deployed and have PTSD, in particular, tend to report more symptoms and poorer health, the committee found.
PTSD often occurs together with other anxiety disorders, depression, and substance abuse; severity is associated with increased combat exposure.
A problem for obtaining better evidence that would give answers relates to pre- and post-deployment health screenings of physical, mental, and emotional status. The Committee said that the Department of Defense (DoD)
should conduct comprehensive, standardized evaluations of service members’ medical conditions, psychiatric symptoms and diagnoses, and psychosocial status and trauma history before and after they deploy to war zones. Such screenings would provide baseline data for comparisons and information to determine the long-term consequences of deployment-related stress. In addition, screenings would help identify at-risk personnel who might benefit from targeted intervention programs during deployment — such as marital counseling or therapy for psychiatric or other disorders — and help DoD and VA
choose which intervention programs to implement for veterans adjusting to post-deployment life. Copies of Gulf War and Health, Volume 6: Physiologic, Psychologic, and Psychosocial Effects of Deployment-Related Stress are available from the National Academies Press at 202-334-3313 or 1-800-624-6242 or online at www.nap.edu.
Military service in a war zone may have an increased chance of developing
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), other anxiety disorders, and depression, according to Gulf War and Health: Volume 6. Physiologic, Psychologic, and Psychosocial Effects of Deployment-Related Stress, a report from the Institute of Medicine. Serving in a war also increases the chances of alcohol abuse, accidental death, and suicide within the first few years after leaving the war zone, and marital and family conflict, including domestic violence, said the committee that wrote the report. The new report was requested by the Department of Veterans Affairs, which asked for a comprehensive analysis of the scientific and medical evidence that connect deployment-related stress and long-term health problems, with a special focus on veterans of the 1991 Gulf War. The report documented a wide range
of Gulf War stressors, including Scud missile and artillery attack; contact with enemy prisoners of war or dead animals; direct combat duty; seeing someone killed or wounded; worry about chemical weapon attacks; separation from family; sexual assault; having a combat related injury; and the length of deployment.
The report indicates that chronic pain; chronic fatigue syndrome; drug abuse; fibromyalgia; gastrointestinal symptoms; incarceration; skin diseases; and unexplained illnesses also may be associated with the stresses of being in a war, but the evidence to support these links is weaker. For other health problems and adverse effects reviewed, the scientific data are lacking or contradictory; the IOM committee could not decide if links between these ailments and deployment-related stress exist. Although the report cannot offer definitive answers about the connections between many health problems and the stressors of war, it is clear that veterans who were deployed to war zones self-report more medical conditions and poorer health than veterans who were not deployed. Those who were deployed and have PTSD, in particular, tend to report more symptoms and poorer health, the committee found.
PTSD often occurs together with other anxiety disorders, depression, and substance abuse; severity is associated with increased combat exposure.
A problem for obtaining better evidence that would give answers relates to pre- and post-deployment health screenings of physical, mental, and emotional status. The Committee said that the Department of Defense (DoD)
should conduct comprehensive, standardized evaluations of service members’ medical conditions, psychiatric symptoms and diagnoses, and psychosocial status and trauma history before and after they deploy to war zones. Such screenings would provide baseline data for comparisons and information to determine the long-term consequences of deployment-related stress. In addition, screenings would help identify at-risk personnel who might benefit from targeted intervention programs during deployment — such as marital counseling or therapy for psychiatric or other disorders — and help DoD and VA
choose which intervention programs to implement for veterans adjusting to post-deployment life. Copies of Gulf War and Health, Volume 6: Physiologic, Psychologic, and Psychosocial Effects of Deployment-Related Stress are available from the National Academies Press at 202-334-3313 or 1-800-624-6242 or online at www.nap.edu.
Last modified: Wednesday, 15 October 2008, 07:09 AM