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By Charlene Rubush, July 5, 2010 2:18 pm

A survey published in the Spring 2010 Combat & Operational Stress Research Quarterly used a sample of 2,543 New Jersey Army National Guard members set to deploy.

Study Type

Pre-deployment self-report survey study

The key findings from the survey are:

•  A standard pre-deployment health assessment of National Guard soldiers set to deploy to  Iraq identified significantly fewer mental health problems in this sample, than did the self-report survey used for this study.
• Additionally, soldiers in this sample who have been previously deployed to combat zones are more than three times as likely to screen positive for PTSD and major depression.
• They are twice as likely to screen positive for alcohol dependence and chronic pain.
• They are more than 90% more likely to score below the general population on physical functioning compared to soldiers with no previous deployments.

Implications

Military readiness may be negatively affected by returning medically impaired soldiers to combat.

Pre-deployment mental health screening measures currently in place may be inadequate for keeping soldiers with mental health problems from being returned to deployment, potentially resulting in a weaker fighting force and higher rates of pathology and injury in troops after subsequent deployments.

(Citations: Effects of repeated deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan on the health of New Jersey ArmyNational Guard troops, American Journal of Public Health).

http://www.med.navy.mil/Spring%202010%Research%20Quart

Charlene’s Note:

Common sense dictates that multiple deployments will take a greater toll on the mental health of combat soldiers.

Are these survey’s going to do anything to stop these multiple deployments? I doubt it.  In my humble opinion, our soldiers and their families are being asked to give too much.

What the answer is, I don’t know. I used to have hope that we could actually find peaceful means to end conflict. But I no longer harbor such youthful illusions. I now understand there are other factors that determine the where and why of wars.

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By Charlene Rubush, March 30, 2010 10:46 pm

Part Two:

Dr. Judith Broder established “The Soldiers Project” in order to help combat veterans and their families. Concerned about the enormous stigma attached to getting psychological help, especially in the military, she wanted to provide an alternative. Of the masses of returning combat vets afflicted with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, she notes, “These people are not mentally ill, they are just reacting to extremely abnormal situations.”

Recent studies underscore the need for these services. In 2008, the RAND Center for Military Health Policy reported that nearly 20 percent of veterans, 300,000 in all, who served in Afghanistan and Iraq since 2001, report symptoms of PTSD or major depression. And a 2009 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) study reports a threefold increase in depression and post-traumatic stress after repeat combat duty.

Volunteers involved with “The Soldiers Project” receive specialized training in depression, PTSD, and traumatic brain injury. They are all licensed in various fields, such as psychiatry, social work, nursing, psychology, marriage and family therapy, and must participate in ongoing training on topics such as deployment, homecoming, re-entry into civilian life, domestic violence and therapeutic approaches, among others.

The project also helps those who aren’t eligible for services through the military or VA, including extended family members as well as gay, lesbian and heterosexual unmarried partners. The Soldiers Project’s services are confidential, eliminating concern that treatment would appear on military records and affect careers. Continue reading 'The Soldiers Project Provides A Safety Net For Those Who Would Rather Not Use VA Mental Health Services'»