Answering a Question

     Based on the variety of different mental health disorders and the frequency of which that occur in soldiers during deployment and in veterans post-deployment there should be a myriad of different services in order to assist them in getting their lives back on track and off of the battlefield. There should be an increase of mental health benefits/services available for soldiers and veterans because they put their lives on the line for the country, they develop several disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, and substance abuse, and lastly because it can be difficult for them to re-enter society after being deployed to a hostile environment.

     Day by day soldiers on the front lines have to constantly be aware of everything around them, never knowing when or if a firefight will breakout or an IED goes off; every moment that passes by could be their last one. Death and injury are unfortunately quite common on the battlefield “In the first 6.5 years of Operation Iraqi Freedom IOIF), U.S. military casualties exceeded 3,400 hostile deaths, 800 nonhostile deaths (due to disease, nonbattle injury, and other causes), and over 31,000 troops wounded in action,” (Goldberg). These numbers might not be as high as the casualties in the Vietnam War but soldiers continue to risk their lives. There needs to be an increase of mental health benefits/services because when a soldier witnesses something tragic or is wounded, the risk of developing a mental disorder increases substansially and soldiers should have help recovering from the sensory overload of hostility, as well as being injured mentally and physically.

     Another reason why there should be an increase of benefits/services for soldiers and veteran is because being deployed to a hostile environment such as Iraq or Afghanistan, as well as being away from friends and family can cause several types of mental disorders. Some of the most common of these disorders are: PTSD, depression, anxiety and substance abuse. After experiencing a traumatic event it is common for someone to develop PTSD which is an anxiety related disorder. Some of the symptoms of PTSD are: reliving the event, avoiding things or situations that are associated with the event, nightmares, feeling numb and being hyper-alert (DSM IV). Depression is also a common disorder while in combat; this is primarily from being separated from family and other loved ones while in combat. There is also a strong comorbidity of depression with suicide. “Epidemiological data suggest that between 59 and 87% of suicide victims suffered from major depression while up to 15% of these patients will eventually commit suicide,” (Gonda, Fountoulakis, Kaprinis, Rihmer). Soldiers are even more prone to this comorbidity so in order to decrease the likelihood of soldiers and post deployment suicide there should be more services to help keep soldiers in touch with family members along with dealing with the depression from traumatic events while in combat. Another common problem that soldiers face once they return home is substance abuse. One of the most common forms of self-medication is alcohol and abuse of other substances. One of the main reasons why a returning soldier might self-medicate rather than seek treatment is because they fear being seen as “weak”. There are programs for this but there should be more of them and the returning veterans should have easy access to these. 

     Lastly, there should be an increase of benefits/services in order to assist the soldiers that are coming home. After being in an extremely hostile environment it can be quite difficult for soldiers to re-enter society. When a soldier returns from combat they can be constantly on edge or hyper-alert because they are used to being surrounded by threats. It is also common for veterans to seclude themselves from everyone else, this is most likely because they don’t understand how to handle the change of being away from the battlefield. This can further increase the possibility of developing depression. For soldiers that deal with this difficult adjustment there should be some way of slowly exposing them to the now unfamiliar environment. It is also common for soldiers to experience financial difficulties after returning home. A study was done that showed an association between having PTSD, major depressive disorder, or traumatic brain injury with having financial difficulties (Elbogen, Johnson, Wagner, Newton, Beckham). Based on this study there should be some sort of financial service to help returning soldiers adjust. Some soldiers might still be on the battlefield and they might act or do certain things that were appropriate in combat but not appropriate here. Slow exposure to society would teach them the difference between being over there and being here without the drastic change in environment.

     The world would be better if there was just no war but that is not likely to be the case; so until we can live in a world with no war, no fighting; the soldiers that do fight and risk their lives for their country should have help post deployment. Due to disorders such as PTSD, depression, anxiety, and substance abuse along with trouble entering society; there should be more services/benefits for soldiers. 

Work Cited

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM-IV-TR. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association, 2000. Print.

Elbogen, Eric B., et al. "Financial Well-Being And Postdeployment Adjustment Among Iraq And Afghanistan War Veterans." Military Medicine 177.6 (2012): 669-675. Academic Search Complete. Web. 5 Nov. 2013.

Goldberg, Matthew S. "Death And Injury Rates Of U.S. Military Personnel In Iraq." Military Medicine 175.4 (2010): 220-226. Academic Search Complete. Web. 5 Nov. 2013

Gonda, Xenia, et al. "Prediction And Prevention Of Suicide In Patients With Unipolar Depression And Anxiety." Annals Of General Psychiatry 6.(2007): 23-8. Academic Search Complete. Web. 5 Nov. 2013.