Iraqi war vets: A high rate of stress-related disorders

Filed in archive Studies on July 28, 2005

Almost one-third who return from Iraq come back with stress-related mental health problems:

The survey of 1,000 troops found problems including anxiety, depression, nightmares, anger and an inability to concentrate, said Lt. Gen. Kevin Kiley and other military medical officials. A smaller number of troops, often with more severe symptoms, were diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, a serious mental illness.

The 30 percent figure is in contrast to the 3 percent to 5 percent diagnosed with a significant mental health issues immediately after they leave the war theater, according to Col. Elspeth Ritchie, a military psychiatrist on Kiley's staff. A study of troops who were still in the combat zone in 2004 found 13 percent experienced significant mental health problems.

(Lumpkin, "Iraq Affecting Mental Health of Troops", ABC News, Jul.28)