This study is significant because it is the first national study of VA non-mental health medical service utilization in veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. The findings are important because in the population studied the soldiers who were found to have mental health issues used all types of non-mental health services than those with no diagnosis. Veterans diagnosed with PTSD had the greatest utilization in all service categories. One million of the service men and women who have returned from war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan have been diagnosed with the disorder. Prior research on this topic has revealed that returning war veterans are at a higher risk for developing mental disorders than any other group in the united states.
PTSD is the most common of these mental disorders. In addition, a recent study done by the Department of the Army shows that the rate for PTSD is going up at an extimetial rate among soldiers returning from war. Recognizing the seriousness of the disorders these men and women are developing, especially PTSD, and getting these veterans the health care they need has been a high profile topic for scientific studies on war linked mental disorders.
Methodology
This study was quantitative and consisted of two hundred and forty nine thousand veterans who were new to VA healthcare system. This study was conducted between october of 2001 and March of 2007. (Cohen, etal, 2009). This study focused on mental health disorder diagnoses associated with veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan, because of this they used a majority of the studies population who were new to VA health care. The study followed groups of veterans, those without mental disorders and those with mental disorders, including PTSD. Thirt...
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The studies strength came from the amount of time the researches had to perform the study. It holds many implications into the identification and treatment of PTSD and other disorders caused by war related trauma. Nurses and other doctors, who are established and in institutional training, besides those in the mental health services, need to become more aware of the PTSD symptoms so that soldiers who are returning from war can get proper treatment if they are turned away from the VA. All veterans deserve the right to be treated and this would be the best possible way to achieve it.
Works Cited
Cohen, B., Gima, K., Bertenthal, D., Kim, S., Marmar, C., Seal, K. (2009). Mental health diagnoses
and utilization of va non-mental health medical services among returning Iraq and Afghanistan
veterans. Society of General Internal Medicine
PBS’ Frontline film “The Wounded Platoon” reviews the effects the Iraq war has had on soldiers as they return home and transition back into civilian life, focusing particularly on the rise in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among American military members from Fort Carson Army base (Edge, 2010). Incidents of PTSD have risen dramatically in the military since the beginning of the Iraq war and military mental health policies and treatment procedures have adapted to manage this increase (Edge, 2010). In “The Wounded Platoon,” many military personnel discuss how PTSD, and other mental health struggles, have been inadequately treated (if at all) by military mental health services. Reasons and Perdue’s definition of a social problem allows us to see inadequate treatment of PTSD among returning United States military members as a social problem because it is a condition affecting a significant number of people in undesirable ways that can be remedied through collective action (Reasons & Perdue, 1981).
That is to say that both post traumatic stress disorder and physical disabilities are issues that many soldiers have to deal with once they return home from war. Mental affects on veterans can vary person to person. Events l...
With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, symptoms and cases are preventable and able to be countered if addressed properly. If the potential PTSD victims take necessary action to recover from their experience early on, suffering can be aided the best. The Vietnam War, filled with the gruesome combat due to technological advancements, fighting that still resulted in northern Vietnam’s victory and leaving many soldiers with feeling that the war was pointless, and the amount of innocents killed in the process, a heavy impact was left upon the veterans; however, it was America’s generally hostile response to the Vietnam War and lack of sympathy that contributed the most to the high numbers of PTSD victims.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), originally associated with combat, has always been around in some shape or form but it was not until 1980 that it was named Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and became an accredited diagnosis (Rothschild). The fact is PTSD is one of many names for an old problem; that war has always had a severe psychological impact on people in immediate and lasting ways. PTSD has a history that is as long and significant as the world’s war history - thousands of years. Although, the diagnosis has not been around for that long, different names and symptoms of PTSD always have been. Some physical symptoms include increased blood pressure, excessive heart rate, rapid breathing, muscle tension, nausea, diarrhea, problems with vision, speech, walking disorders, convulsive vomiting, cardiac palpitations, twitching or spasms, weakness and severe muscular cramps. The individual may also suffer from psychological symptoms, such as violent nightmares, flashbacks, melancholy, disturbed sleep or insomnia, loss of appetite, and anxieties when certain things remind them such as the anniversary date of the event (Peterson, 2009).
Within a recent context, the intangible, and often dismissed damage that war inflicts on a soldier’s mental health, has been reaffirmed and reexamined. The invisible injuries of war, such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, anxiety, and depression, have proven to be as deadly as noticeable damage, such as infections or wounds. This issue of the mental health has been given an increased importance in light of the gruesome influx of suicides and murders committed by unstable returning soldiers. With the potential increase of the United States’ military involvement in the Middle East being a relevant issue, it is incredibly important for all people, from those with direct power to those who have the sole power of their voice, to thoroughly understand the potential long-term repercussions that are involved with war, before committing men and women to fight in this conflict. Most crucially, society must ensure that proper care and services are made easily accessible for returning soldiers, in order to assist with their successful transition back to civilian
Imagine living in despair after coming back home, dismayed from a war that got no appreciation. Robert Kroger once said in his quote, “The brave men and women, who serve their country and as a result, live constantly with the war inside them, exist in a world of chaos. But the turmoil they experience isn’t who they are, the PTSD invades their minds and bodies.” Eleven percent of Vietnam Veterans still suffer with symptoms of the terrifying disorder of PTSD (Handwerk). Vietnam Veterans struggle with the physiological effects of PTSD after war, which leads to despair and many deaths.
Military Pathway (2013) concluded “Military life, especially the stress of deployments or mobilizations, can present challenges to service members and their families that are both unique and difficult”. Hence, it is not surprising that soldiers returning from a stressful war environment often suffer from a psychological condition called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. This paper provides a historical perspective of PTSD affecting soldiers, and how this illness has often been ignored. In addition, the this paper examines the cause and diagnosis of the illness, the changes of functional strengths and limitations, the overall effects this disease may have on soldiers and their families, with a conclusion of possible preventative measures and treatment options. All of these findings are backed by extensive research through media, web, and journal references.
Seal, Karen H., Daniel Bertenthal, Christian R. Miner, Saunak Sen, and Charles Marmar. "Bringing the War Back Home: Mental Health Disorders Among 103 788 US Veterans Returning From Iraq and Afghanistan Seen at Department of Veterans Affairs Facilities." Archives of Internal Medicine 167.5 (2007): 476-82. Print.
Hundreds of thousands of United States veterans are not able to leave the horrors of war on the battlefield (“Forever at War: Veterans Everyday Battles with PTSD” 1). Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the reason why these courageous military service members cannot live a normal life when they are discharged. One out of every five military service members on combat tours—about 300,000 so far—return home with symptoms of PTSD or major depression. According to the Rand Study, almost half of these cases go untreated because of the disgrace that the military and civil society attach to mental disorders (McGirk 1). The general population of the world has to admit that they have had a nightmare before. Imagine not being able to sleep one wink because every time you close your eyes you are forced to relive memories from the past that you are trying to bury deep. This is what happens to the unfortunate men and women who are struggling with PTSD. Veterans that are struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder deserve the help they need.
Over the past fifteen years Americas finest warriors have been sent all over the world battling the war on terror. According to the President, the wars and battles are now over. Due to the Presidents lack of combat experience, he fails to realise that the battles still continue. These battles are not in Afghanistan, Iraq, or any other country, the battles are in the minds of those combat Veterans. These Veterans are and will continue to relive those battles in their minds for the rest of their lives. This battle is the battle for inner peace, sanity, and a good night’s sleep. Doctors have related this disorder to a release of a chemical cocktail in the brain and have coined this battle PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). If PTSD is related to a release of chemical cocktail in the brain, then pre-war vulnerabilities, combat, , and post-war re-experiences are triggers that release that cocktail and cause Veterans to get PTSD.
A catalyst for change within the psychiatric treatment of veterans was the Vietnam War. Soldiers returned from war suffering unmistakable service related psychiatric conditions. (Pols & Oak, 2007) In 1969, veterans were returning from Vietnam War to find themselves suffering from the trauma of war with no resources or treatment to help them manage their mental health. A few key players, including Senator Alan Cranston, fought for the creation of appropriate mental health services, known as readjustment counseling, which would be provided to eligible veterans in “small, community based centers” and was approved after 10 years of battling with Congress to pass it through legislation (Blank,
Our soldiers not only risked life and limb for our country while serving in the Vietnam War, but they continue to suffer immensely. Americans as well as Vietnamese troops and civilians suffered great losses when it comes to casualties. Witnessing first-hand the pain and death of strangers and allies, isn’t something one is likely to forget. Post-Traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been one of the many repercussions of witnessing these gruesome events (Mental Health America). Veterans, their families, and the government have come together in combat in attempts to address the detrimental effects of PTSD.
Veterans have manifested significant mental or behavioral health issues and in turn, health care services have been set to respond to their needs through educating community health care providers to work with veterans, service members and their families. As Zeiss & Karlin (2008) demonstrates, health care system has partnered with national organizations, health services, resources administration and other major mental projects that target the veterans to ensure effective services to mental health concerns. There are many inter-professional roles geared towards veterans due to their wide-range of mental issues including physicians, psychologists, social workers, substance abuse professionals, licensed counselors, public health workers, therapists related to marriage and family issues, nurses, chaplains, law enforcement and occupational therapists. In the course of this discussion, the way veterans mental issues has been addressed will be constricted to nursing setting to describe the scope, severity, behavioral health issues and responses among veterans.
For many veterans, their participation in a war is enough to cause mental instability, and warrant treatment.
...y need in order to live a happy and healthy rest of their life. Just by reading this article it allows you into a whole new world of the military, something deeper than what we see from the outside world. At first when one reads this article they might find it biased and not very beneficial, but once they present the data tables you see the numbers and it blows your mind to see how many veterans are suffering from posttraumatic disorder. The presentation of the evidence and the way the argument is presented is in a well-organized manner for any reader to follow along. “ Mental Health in Deployed and Non-deployed Veteran Men and Women in Comparison With their Civilian Counterparts,” is a reliable source due to the academic presentation which includes data, personal interviews, qualified sources and a balanced argument that have points that support their argument.