US troops withdrawn from the front line in Iraq and Afghanistan for medical reasons from 2004 to 2007 were increasingly evacuated because of psychiatric problems, a study released on Friday reveals.
Only 14 percent of troops taken out of combat operations on medical grounds during this four-year period were because of a combat injury.
Wives of Deployed Soldiers Suffer More Depression, Sleep Disorders
Wives of soldiers deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan are more likely to be diagnosed with depression, anxiety, sleep disorders and other mental health conditions.
Wives of soldiers deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan are more likely to be diagnosed with depression, anxiety, sleep disorders and other mental health conditions.
In contrast, psychiatric grounds accounted for five percent of evacuations in Iraq and six percent in Afghanistan in 2004; these figures rose to 14 percent and 11 percent respectively in 2007.
The analysis, published by The Lancet, was led by Steven Cohen of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore.
Now, Iraqi Civilians Accuse British Soldiers of Sexual, Physical Abuse
Hundreds of Iraqi civilians have alleged the British soldiers of sexual and physical abuse, prompting comparisons with the torture practices employed by US soldiers at the Abu Ghraib
Hundreds of Iraqi civilians have alleged the British soldiers of sexual and physical abuse, prompting comparisons with the torture practices employed by US soldiers at the Abu Ghraib
The authors note that the increase in psychiatric cases occurred despite the introduction of mental health teams devoted to treating combat stress.
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US Senator Asks For Details Of Antidepressants Prescribed For Soldiers In War Zones
A US senator has called upon the defence department to reveal details of antidepressants prescribed for soldiers deployed in war zones.
A US senator has called upon the defence department to reveal details of antidepressants prescribed for soldiers deployed in war zones.
"Possible explanations... are the cumulative psychological effect of repeated deployments, the increasing manpower burden borne by reserve and National Guard units, a decreased threshold for evacuation, and a shift in public opinion regarding the war in Iraq," says the paper.
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Focus On Psychological Injuries Of Soldiers At US Mental Health Summit
US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has stressed the need to focus on the psychological injuries sustained by soldiers.
US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has stressed the need to focus on the psychological injuries sustained by soldiers.
The findings have implications for the Pentagon, seeking to prevent evacuations that sap frontline strength and disrupt operations, and for doctors and families helping returning troops.
"As survival rates of combat injuries increase, and the burden of non-battle-related injuries and psychiatric disorders continues to soar, society must be prepared to deal with the aftermath of these injuries," says the paper.
Source-AFP
