Though this study confirmed the presence of post-traumatic stress, it also reported that most of the veterans recovered over time, often without treatment from mental health professionals. It also confirmed that the 1,200 veterans studied had given reliable information about their war experience since the findings were based on military records not available to researchers in previous studies.
"The more severe the exposure to war zone stresses, the greater the likelihood of developing post-traumatic stress disorder and having it persist for many years," said Bruce P. Dohrenwend , an epidemiologist at Columbia University. However, the disorder was identified almost 12 years after the war and it was often based on veterans' memories that might be incorrect.
Dohrenwend hopes further research is done in this area including studies that begin examining soldiers once they return from the Iraq war, will benefit future veterans.
