Mental Health Care Needs among Recent War Veterans

Fifteen percent or more of some populations of veterans of the Vietnam War and the 1991 Gulf War have received diagnoses of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).1,2 Given this history and the fact that U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan are serving for prolonged periods in a hazardous combat environment, we expect the mental health care needs of our newest veterans to be great. In a survey of 3671 Army soldiers and Marines who were involved in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, up to 17 percent of those returning reported symptoms consistent with major depression, generalized anxiety, or PTSD.3 Since . . .