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Iraq Veterans Reaching Out for Help

Posted on: Wednesday, 1 March 2006, 06:00 CST

By Gregg Zoroya

More than one-third of U.S. soldiers and Marines fighting in Iraq visited a mental health specialist at least once after their combat tours, evidence both of the emotional trauma of the war and a growing willingness to seek help, according to a study in today's Journal of the American Medical Association.

The study found that about 1 in 5 veterans of Iraq show evidence of mental health problems based on answers they provided in a screening survey after their combat tour. About 11% of veterans of Afghanistan showed similar problems in their answers.

"Those coming back from Iraq do have a greater need for mental health services," says Col. Charles Hoge, a study co-author and a psychiatrist with the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. "And we're pretty sure that's due to higher frequency and intensity of combat experiences in Iraq."

Comparing current soldiers with Vietnam veterans is difficult because those who served in Vietnam weren't studied until 10 to 20 years after the war.

The authors caution the high rate at which soldiers and Marines are seeking therapy "highlights challenges in ensuring that there are adequate resources."

Psychiatrists singled that out as a warning. "We had better be ready to see a lot of soldiers, because it looks like the high-stress Iraq environment is likely to produce more people who need help," says James Scully, the American Psychiatric Association's medical director.

The Veterans Administration is monitoring troops' needs, says Michael Kussman, the VA's principal deputy undersecretary for health. "We will do whatever we need to do to take care of people, no matter how many there are."

The study tracked 300,000 soldiers and Marines deployed in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere from May 2003 to April 2004. The authors examined surveys filled out by troops after they came home and checked to see whether they saw a mental health specialist within a year of coming home or leaving the service.

Hoge found good news in the results. Of nearly 70,000 Iraq veterans who sought counseling, about one-third emerged with a mental disorder diagnosis or combat-induced problems, such as marriage troubles. The rest sought help for minor problems, such as difficulty sleeping. That suggests service members increasingly are willing to talk about potential problems sooner rather than later, something the Pentagon has been pushing, Hoge says.

But the study suggests that those in dire need still might not be seeking help. The study found that 19.1% of veterans showed signs of mental health problems in their answers to questions about suicide, personal conflicts or aggressive behavior. Yet only 8.4% of those with serious problems received help.

It's proof that many soldiers and Marines still attach a negative stigma to therapy, Hoge says.

Contributing: Glenn O'Neal

(c) Copyright 2005 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

Source: USA TODAY

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