Understanding the Needs of Veterans with PTSD

摘要

Each year significant numbers of individuals leave military service. The majority successfullytransition into civilian life, but a significant minority leave the military either with a diagnosis of PTSD,or go on to report symptoms in later life. Prevalence rates of PTSD in military populations have beenextensively studied since the deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, with data suggesting high rates (insome cases up to 20%) in those who served in these conflicts [1]. There is also evidence that, with thepassage of time since individuals return from deployment, rates of PTSD increase [1,2]. PTSD has beenshown to create a higher financial burden to society than other mental health conditions in veterans [3].