Multiple Tours of Duty Lead to Post-Traumatic Stress
Monday, April 12, 2010
Source:
http://www.allgov.com/ViewNews/Multiple_Tours_of_Duty_Lead_to_Post_Traumatic_Stress_100412
Nearly 300,000 American troops have served three, four or more times in Iraq
and/or Afghanistan, while cases of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have
risen dramatically since the wars began. The possible correlation between these
two facts has led to the question of whether it’s fair to send young men and
women back into combat again and again, and risk causing long-term mental and
emotional problems.
One U.S. Army study from 2009 found troops in Afghanistan were more vulnerable
to developing psychological problems as the number of tours went up (31% for
three tours, more than double the rate of those with just one). Another study
focused on Iraq showed nearly 15% of Army troops who served two tours suffered
from depression, anxiety or traumatic stress, more than double that of a single
tour. The PTSD rate was almost 2.5 times higher for two deployments compared
with one.
“We just don’t know whether it’s combat exposure, repeated separation from the
family or (not enough) time off,” Lieutenant Colonel Paul Bliese, director of
the division of psychiatry and neuroscience at the Walter Reed Army Institute of
Research, told the Associated Press. “All of those are reasonable explanations.”
-Noel Brinkerhoff