VA Diagnosing Higher Rates of PTSD

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VA Diagnosing Higher Rates of PTSD

By William H. McMichael - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Jan 16, 2009 16:18:25 EST

More than 44 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans who have sought treatment at a Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility have been diagnosed with one or more possible mental disorders, according to the agency’s most recent summary of veteran health care.

All told, a total of 178,483 veterans who came to VA for help were diagnosed with possible mental disorders from fiscal 2002 through September 2008, according to the January report of the VHA Office of Public Health and Environmental Hazards.

Of that total, 92,998 service members, or 23 percent, were diagnosed with possible post-traumatic stress disorder, while 63,009, or 16 percent, were found to have possible depressive disorders.

The VA figures overlap to an unknown extent because officials say a veteran may have been diagnosed with more than one disorder.

In addition, the total of those who have come to VA for health care is a limited sample of the 1.7 million service members who have served in the two wars — as of Sept. 30, 2008, 400,304 war veterans had sought such treatment over the past seven years, or about 24 percent of the totals number of troops who have served in the conflicts.

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http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/01/military_veterans_carestats_011609w/%2e