ch36 Soldiers and Veterans
(NUR 448, psych, exam 3)
questions and answers
stats
More than 2.5 million U.S. troops were deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan
since 2001.
More than 6,600 died.
More than 48,000 were injured.
One third of the returning service members have mental health issues.
PTSD present in around 4% to 20% of these services members.
POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD)- Prevalence
• Twelve-month prevalence amongst U.S. adults is approximately 3.5%.
• Lifetime prevalence: 6% to 8%
• Highest rates found in :
- Survivors of rape
- Combat veterans/POWs
- Survivors of politically-motivated captivity or genocide
- U.S. Latinos, African Americans, and American Indians, have higher rates
than Caucasians or Asian Americans
• Among combat veterans and military personnel deployed to Iraq and
Afghanistan: 48% co-occurrence of PTSD and mild TBI (traumatic brain
injury).
MILITARY SEXUAL TRAUMA (MST)
• Another cause of PTSD.
• Any sexual harassment or sexual assault that occurs while you are in the
military.
• Can happen to both men and women and can occur during peacetime,
training, or war.
, • Among Veterans who use VA health care, about:
- 23 out of 100 women (or 23%) reported sexual assault when in the
military.
- 55 out of 100 women (or 55%) and 38 out of 100 men (or 38%) have
experienced sexual harassment when in the military.
- Over half of all Veterans with military sexual trauma are men.
PTSD: PROGNOSIS
30%: recover completely without treatment
40%: mild symptoms
20%: moderate symptoms
10%: unchanged or worse
Protective Factors: strong social support; having family stability; symptom
duration < 6 months; no comorbid psychiatric, medical or substance
related disorders; good premorbid functioning
Pretraumatic RISK FACTORS - PTSD
• Genetics: family hx of psychiatric illness,
women 2x>men
• Lower intelligence
• Prior exposure to trauma
• Childhood adversity
• Lower SES, lower education
• Minority racial/ethnic status
• Preexisting anxiety, depression, panic disorder, OCD
Females more at risk, younger age at time of trauma exposure
Childhood adversity: economic deprivation, family dysfunction, parental
separation, death
Peritraumatic RISK FACTORS - PTSD
Øseverity of the trauma
Ø perceived life threat
Ø personal injury
Ø interpersonal violence
Ø military personnel: being a perpetrator, killing the enemy, witnessing
atrocities
Dissociation: detachment from reality, memory loss, amnesia
Posttraumatic RISK FACTORS - PTSD
(NUR 448, psych, exam 3)
questions and answers
stats
More than 2.5 million U.S. troops were deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan
since 2001.
More than 6,600 died.
More than 48,000 were injured.
One third of the returning service members have mental health issues.
PTSD present in around 4% to 20% of these services members.
POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD)- Prevalence
• Twelve-month prevalence amongst U.S. adults is approximately 3.5%.
• Lifetime prevalence: 6% to 8%
• Highest rates found in :
- Survivors of rape
- Combat veterans/POWs
- Survivors of politically-motivated captivity or genocide
- U.S. Latinos, African Americans, and American Indians, have higher rates
than Caucasians or Asian Americans
• Among combat veterans and military personnel deployed to Iraq and
Afghanistan: 48% co-occurrence of PTSD and mild TBI (traumatic brain
injury).
MILITARY SEXUAL TRAUMA (MST)
• Another cause of PTSD.
• Any sexual harassment or sexual assault that occurs while you are in the
military.
• Can happen to both men and women and can occur during peacetime,
training, or war.
, • Among Veterans who use VA health care, about:
- 23 out of 100 women (or 23%) reported sexual assault when in the
military.
- 55 out of 100 women (or 55%) and 38 out of 100 men (or 38%) have
experienced sexual harassment when in the military.
- Over half of all Veterans with military sexual trauma are men.
PTSD: PROGNOSIS
30%: recover completely without treatment
40%: mild symptoms
20%: moderate symptoms
10%: unchanged or worse
Protective Factors: strong social support; having family stability; symptom
duration < 6 months; no comorbid psychiatric, medical or substance
related disorders; good premorbid functioning
Pretraumatic RISK FACTORS - PTSD
• Genetics: family hx of psychiatric illness,
women 2x>men
• Lower intelligence
• Prior exposure to trauma
• Childhood adversity
• Lower SES, lower education
• Minority racial/ethnic status
• Preexisting anxiety, depression, panic disorder, OCD
Females more at risk, younger age at time of trauma exposure
Childhood adversity: economic deprivation, family dysfunction, parental
separation, death
Peritraumatic RISK FACTORS - PTSD
Øseverity of the trauma
Ø perceived life threat
Ø personal injury
Ø interpersonal violence
Ø military personnel: being a perpetrator, killing the enemy, witnessing
atrocities
Dissociation: detachment from reality, memory loss, amnesia
Posttraumatic RISK FACTORS - PTSD
