War Wounds of the Mind II

US Person posted previously {6.2.09} on the epidemic of combat related mental illness. New information shows that 1/3 of Middle East veterans enrolled in the VA health system (aka socialized medicine) were diagnosed with a mental health problem. A study by the University of California, San Francisco and the San Francisco VAMC was released on Thursday. Based on 289,328 veterans involved in the two current wars and who used the system between 2002 and 2008, it found 37% of them were diagnosed with mental problems, 22% of which was for post traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD), 17% for depression, and 7% for alcohol abuse. The principal author, Dr. Karen H. Seal, attributed the rising problems to multiple exposures to combat, the unconventional nature of the conflicts, reduced troop moral, waning public support for the wars, and increased public awareness of PTSD. Only about 53% of combat veterans suffering from PTSD or major depression see a doctor. On the same day the study was released the Army confirmed that more soldiers died of suicide than died in combat. There were 17 confirmed suicides by active duty personnel in May. Sixteen died in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Army experienced a record number of suicides in 2008.