Posted on 04/17/2008 8:21:36 PM PDT by blam
'One in five US servicemen has brain injury'
By Damien McElroy, Foreign Affairs Correspondent
Last Updated: 3:26am BST 18/04/2008
The psychological toll of America's wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has touched one in five servicemen and its consequences will be long-lasting, a study suggested yesterday.
The Rand Corporation, a leading research operation, said that 320,000 soldiers suffered brain injuries on the battlefield, while more than 300,000 suffered mental disorders on returning home.
The report said that US veterans are incurring "invisible wounds" of war, most notably traumatic brain injury. A survey of 1,926 soldiers represented a statistically significant sample of the 1.6 million troops sent to Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001, Rand said.
Roadside bombs were responsible for a vast number of injuries never fully diagnosed or treated in modern warfare, according to the report's authors.
It found that 19.5 per cent of the returning soldiers were reported to have experienced a "probable brain injury" during deployment but only 57 per cent of those had seen a doctor about the incident.
The report added there was a similar picture of mental health problems: "Among those who met diagnostic criteria for post traumatic stress disorder or major depression, only 53 percent had seen a physician or mental health provider to seek help for a mental health problem in the past 12 months."
Rand called for stronger support for veterans from the military's medical hierarchy. "There is a major health crisis facing those men and women who have served our nation in Iraq and Afghanistan," said Terri Tanielian, the lead researcher.
"Unless they receive appropriate and effective care for these mental health conditions, there will be long-term consequences for them and for the nation. Unfortunately, we found there are many barriers preventing them from getting the high-quality treatment they need.
Researchers predicted that 300,000 servicemen, or 18.5 per cent of those sent to fight, would suffer long-term depression or other mental health conditions.
Untreated brain injuries? If they were untreated how do they know the extent of the injury.
More garbage from the UK newspapers. The Telegraph is the worst of a very bad lot.
As an Iraq vet who is typing this reply with 11 other Iraq vets in the room, I’d have to agree with you. All but one of us was in combat multiple times and we have yet to have any “Brain Injuries”! I understand that a lot of people do suffer from PTSD, but I sincerely believe that the numbers are overblown.
Prayers for your son, your family, and for his continued smooth recovery.
We owe him so very much.
It cost guys I knew jobs--the app got tossed when the prospective employers read the military service. One I knew finally got a job when he wrote on the app that he had "been bumming around the country" for the two years he was in.
Here we go again?
Don;t get me wrong, if someone has a problem, it is good that they get help. At least to understand what is going on and how to compensate to work around all the symptoms of a major concussion, something that takes time to recover from.
I found that out after a car accident, thirty years ago.
I also know extended periods of sleep deprivation coupled with nutritional deficiencies can do the same thing: Loss of short term memory, irritability, cognitive disability, inability to concentrate, even personality changes. The symptoms go away faster, but are quite similar.
Beneath this all, though, is the dark idea that the anti-gun folks in this country are doing all they can to ensure that as few people as possible have access to firearms, and that they will try to use this against our veterans who do seek help in order to keep them from having a firearm as a civillian.
SALUTE
And there's a connection:
IL Dept of Veterans Affairs Tammy Duckworth
Please thank your son for his service to our country and to us. I will pray that he will continue to improve and that he will have a long and happy life. God bless you all.
I think we should be respectful and supportive of the brave men and women who have volunteered to fight for us in Iraq.
Exactly. And the way you show respect for someone is to herald his return from the war by trumpeting the idea that he just might not be right in the head. </sarcasm>
If true it is really a sad tale.
What about our elected officals, are they also brain damaged or just don’t give a sh** about those who elected them.
Then again, what about those who keep electing the same arrogant, lying theives to office.
The VA xrayed, CAT scanned and NRI’d his head 7 ways from Sunday - they found what they thought was an area damaged by all the “BIG BANG” stuff he went thru.
About 18 months later, they did it all again, this time with some really high power, out of town talent to read the films.
The damaged area has (healed/gotten better/gone away) not been seen on the new films - that coupled with his ablity to ‘walk and chew gum at the same time’ (family joke) has allowed him to be upgraded to only 50% disabled ( he had other injuries) — to say the least we are all a lot happier now.
Now, if he just find a nice gal and settle down....
And thanks to all for your kind words, I’ll pass them along.
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