One in five US soldiers have depression or post-traumatic stress disorder, study finds

doi:10.1136/bmj.39559.503206.DB

BMJ 2008;336:913 (26 April), doi:10.1136/bmj.39559.503206.DB

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One in five US soldiers have depression or post-traumatic stress disorder, study finds

Fred Charatan

¹ Florida

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

A study has found that 18.5% of current and former US servicepersonnel report symptoms of depression or post-traumatic stressdisorder. And 19% report symptoms that indicate traumatic braininjury, ranging from mild concussions to severe penetratinghead wounds. An estimated 7% have both probable traumatic braininjury and depression or stress disorder.

The study, by the Rand Corporation, and sponsored by the CaliforniaCommunity Foundation, an independent non-profit making thinktank, is thought to be the first large private assessment ofits kind. It included a survey of 1965 active and veteran militarypersonnel; focus groups with service members and their families;and interviews with key administrators and healthcare providersthroughout the United States.

The Department of Defense estimated that 1.6 million servicepersonnel have been deployed in the wars in Afghanistan andin Iraq.

The study found that only about half of personnel with depressionor post-traumatic stress . . . [Full text of this article]

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