ABC World News (2/3, story 2, 3:00, Muir) reported that “nearly 20% of returning troops suffer from symptoms of post-traumatic stress. And they’re the ones we know about.” ABC News correspondent Martha Raddatz added, “PTSD is not new, but with tens of thousands now coming home, the fear is that we still don’t know enough about it.”
On its website, ABC News (2/4, Moisse) reported that “up to 20 percent of soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from PTSD, according to a 2008 RAND study.” Jeffrey Lieberman, MD, president-elect of the American Psychiatric Association, explained, “The symptoms can range from mildly disturbing to wholly incapacitating.” Dr. Lieberman added that “we’re still limited in our understanding of why it occurs, what it consists of and the best approaches to treatment.”
Study: 22 US Veterans Commit Suicide Every Day. USA Today (2/2, Zoroya) reported, “An estimated 22 veterans commit suicide in the United States every day, a slightly higher number than the 18-per-day rate the Department of Veterans Affairs had indicated in years past, according to a VA study made public” on Feb. 1. “The analysis found that the actual number of estimated suicides per day among veterans has remained relatively stable, ranging from 20 per day in 2000 to 18 per day in 2007 and 22 per day in 2009 and 2010, the latest estimates available, according to a report on the study released Friday.” The VA “says it has responded to the findings by creating a task force ‘to provide recommendations for innovative mental health care.'” In addition, the VA has bolstered staffing levels for its crisis hotline and is adding people to its mental health staff.
Related Links:
— “Former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle’s Killing Puts Spotlight on PTSD, “Katie Moisse, abc News, February 3, 2013.