Addiction, Depression Hit Soldiers Months After Returning from Combat

Soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan report worse symptoms of addiction and depression months after they leave the combat zone than when they initially get home, the New York Daily News reported Nov. 13.

Initial screening tests conducted by the Army on returning troops found that 17 percent had signs of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and interpersonal conflict.

But when researchers screened troops again six months later, about a third of the 88,235 soldiers studied reported problems.

About 12 percent of active-duty soldiers and 15 percent of reservists had signs of alcoholism six months after returning from combat, but few were referred to treatment.

"It's not unusual for a soldier's body to be revved up after returning from war, so it's not unusual to self-medicate with alcohol," said study author Charles Milliken of the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. "The referral rate is too low right now."

"With some problems, such as relationships or if somebody lost a buddy over there, it may be that they're busy enough in combat that they have no time to dwell on it much," said Milliken.

"But now that they're back home, some of those things start to be on their mind more."

The study was published in the Nov. 14, 2007 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Reference:
Milliken, CS, Auchterlonie, JL, Hoge, CW. (2007) Longitudinal Assessment of Mental Health Problems Among Active and Reserve Component Soldiers Returning From the Iraq War. JAMA., 298(18): 2141-2148.

This article summarizes a mainstream media report of research published in a scientific journal. The summary is not an original analysis of the source material, which is cited in the reference above.

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