Bush: "Our Troops Receive Only the Finest Care..."

Stress Disorders Hit U.S. Troops in Iraq -Study

Wed Jun 30, 2004 05:41 PM ET - By Gene Emery BOSTON (Reuters) - Nearly a fifth of U.S. troops returning from the war in Iraq may suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health problems, but many are not seeking treatment, according to a study released on Wednesday. The study, published in this week's New England Journal of Medicine, is one of a very few that have examined the psychological impact of war so close to the time of deployment. It has already begun to reshape how soldiers are treated, both in the field and after they return home, researchers said. Specifically, the study was partly aimed at gauging the psychological barriers -- from concern about the stigma associated with mental illness to fear of possible harm to one's career -- that keep troops from seeking help for combat-related stress disorders. "There are a significant number of soldiers who need or require help," study co-author Carl Castro of the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research said in an interview.... The rate of post-traumatic stress disorder was 5 percent among the 2,530 Army infantry soldiers headed to Iraq, but it rose sharply following deployment, the researchers found. The rate of the disorder was nearly 13 percent among 894 soldiers who returned from eight months of duty in Iraq. It was more than 12 percent for 815 Marines who served six months there, and about half that for 1,962 infantry soldiers who returned from Afghanistan. The surveys were done in 2003. In contrast, the rate of long-term post-traumatic stress disorder among Vietnam War veterans years after their return has been 15 percent, and between 2 percent to 10 percent among veterans of the Gulf War. It averages around 3 percent to 4 percent in the general population.... The study found that only 23 percent to 40 percent of those suffering from mental health problems had sought help, with many admitting they feared seeking treatment would make them appear weak or make their peers treat them differently. "Concern about stigma was disproportionately greatest among those most in need of help from mental health services," the study's authors said....

Yep, a whole new generation of mentally screwed, suicidal, wife/child beating veterans, courtesy the Bush military/industrial/petroleum complex. Since these young men and women are fighting basically for Halliburton, I think Halliburton should be giving them free lifetime healthcare and a lifetime monthly stipend of say, $5,000.