Mental Health Issues in the Military

Over the last decade, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have drastically increased the need for effective mental health services and treatment for U.S. veterans and service members, especially those suffering from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Nearly 1.5 million American service members have been deployed in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) since the attack on the Twin Towers in September 2001 (Price, Gros, Strachan, Ruggiero, & Acierno, 2013). Approximately 25% of soldiers and wounded warriors returning home from OEF/OIF present with mental illness due to combat-related violence and other trauma exposure (Steinberg & Eisner, 2015). According to Price and colleagues (2013), OEF/OIF soldiers and veterans are at greater risk for developing mental illness compared to others who served in past military operations.

Post-traumatic stress disorder abbreviated PTSD is a response to traumatic events in someone’s life. Traumatic events are events that provoke fear, helplessness or horror in response to a threat or extreme stressor (Yehuda, 2002). Soldiers and other military members are at a much higher risk to Post traumatic stress disorder due to combat and other stressful situations they are put into. People effected by Post-traumatic stress disorder will have symptoms including flashbacks, avoidance of things, people or places that remind them of the traumatic event. Also, hyper arousal which includes insomnia, irritability, impaired concentration and higher startle reactions. In this paper I will discuss post-traumatic stress disorder, its signs, symptom and effects on culture as portrayed in the movie, American Sniper.

The main problem discovered is military members are experiencing psychological problems from stressors due to deployments and not seeking help for their discomforts. Many of the military members returning

Military service members who are and have been deployed to the middle east show high levels of emotional distress and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Both active duty and reserve component soldiers who have experienced combat have been exposed to high levels of traumatic stress. As a consequence, many have gone on to develop a wide range of mental health problems such as PTSD. “According to researchers, PTSD is a long-term reaction to war-zone exposure that can last up to a few minutes, hours, several weeks, and for some a lifetime.” Common symptoms include: emotional numbing, anxiety, feelings of guilt, and depression. If the disorder turns chronic veterans may experience functional impairment (Friedman, M. J. et al., 1994, p.

Veterans are everywhere throughout the United States, but just because they are everywhere, doesn’t meant they are getting the proper care. According to the Iraq and Afghanistan veterans of America, “One in three veterans return home and suffer from some sort of mental health issue.” Their mental health issues vary from post traumatic stress disorder to anxiety and depression. The switch from fighting everyday to being home is tough for the veterans and they need to receive the proper treatment so they can possibly live a life as normal as possible. The state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, started a $810,000 program to support these veterans with their issues returning home. The transition is hard, not

Recent research has revealed that the majority of Veterans with a mental disorder under-utilize mental health services [3]. Among OEF/OIF Active Duty Veterans, only 23-40% of those with mental

As awareness grows relating to the mental health problems of those who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), much of the focus has been on providing adequate and effective care to the newest population of combat veterans. Although efforts have significantly increased with the employment of Evidence Based Practices (EBP) and while the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Veterans Healthcare Administration (VHA), have updated their clinical practice guidelines, barriers remain and reaching the majority of this particular population remains a challenge.

Every American soldier endured rigorous training to become the soldier they are today, but throughout all this training, there are a few things that a soldier can't simply learn. Training and development is treated as preparation for war situations, and much like ordinary grade school, they are tested to see how well each soldier does in each area (Huerta, 2014). Even after all this organizing and teaching, a soldier's mind is still just as human as it was before seeing action in battle. Once a soldier learns to control every situation imaginable, they are sent overseas to put all their training to use; but simulations can only get you so far. At some point, there is a moment when a

American soldiers or soldiers in general are considered to be heroes. They put their lives on the line to help protect their country. However what few people seem to realize is that a soldier's battle is not only out there on the battle field. It is in their everyday lives during and after their time served. It is very common for soldiers to suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD for short.

The trauma that is attached to all of these sudden life changing injuries often lead back to substance abuse, alcohol abuse that is attached to a mental illness which takes a toll on a soldiers family as well. Ann Jones writes in her book, They were Soldiers: How Americas wounded come home the untold story, "Sooner or later almost every American soldier comes home on a stretcher, in a box, in an altered state of mind." As the wars in foreign countries ends, the war continues on in within our soldiers.

The fast paced, often demanding world of life in the military, and the experiences of combat and death, create situations in which many veterans experience psychological stress. These stressful situations are typically complicated further by the self-medication of substance use, and other psychological disorders that may be present. There is a large number of military personnel that are facing stressful issues such as homelessness, suicide, and substance abuse, which could lead to them getting involved with the criminal justice system. There is approximately 18.5% of service members returning from Iraq or Afghanistan that suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder or depression, and about 19.5% of military personnel report experiencing a traumatic brain injury during their deployment in the middle east (Veterans and Military Families, 2014).

The military serves as a major component in our nation 's security. All people around the country continue to rely on them every day to defend our nation’s freedom. Without a doubt, the complex responsibilities of military members encompass large amounts of anxiety, selfless service, and occasionally, terrifying events that cause a negative influence on a person’s life. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a serious and tragic illness among members serving in our military. Mayo Clinic (2014a) defines PTSD as a " mental health condition that 's triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it" (p.361). In certain circumstances, this is a daily experience for many members of the military, but more specifically, the significant impact it has on the groups of men that conduct patrols, air- raids, and a variety of other special operations in the most dangerous territories in the world.

Post traumatic stress disorder is a psychological disorder in which the survivors of a traumatic incident or experience. Examples of this could include but are not limited to death, rape, survivors of a terrorist attack, or soldiers at war. Survivors of these incidents have a series of various symptoms (Wangelin, & Tuerk, 2014). These symptoms include, but are not limited to, irritating flashbacks, nightmares, angry outbursts, and trouble sleeping (Wangelin,, 2014). These symptoms seem to be prevalent in soldiers coming back from war and may negatively effect their personal and social lives. They are affected easily because of the trauma faced in their day to day lives. According to Wangelin (2014), between 8 and 20 percent of soldiers deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan have experienced some form of PTSD . This number comes out to between 192,000 and 480,000 soldiers. This paper will explain Post Traumatic stress disorder, its causes, and the effects it has on the soldiers life and their families. Also, gender differences and treatment will be taken into consideration.

Interesting topic, I have always been interested in the impact mental illness have on veterans. You could have also selected your Ha to be a two-tailed test in which you state a number of suicides for the US civilians are not equals to the veteran female. By incorrectly accepting the null hypothesis you are rejecting the alternative hypothesis. In this case, you are saying the suicide amount is the same for female veteran and civilian females when they are not the same. This would cause false reports to the

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder can have a devastating effect on a soldier’s personal, social and professional life. Soldiers who suffer from PTSD can relive the life-threatening experiences they have suffered with visual, auditory and/or somatic reality, reacting in mind and body as though the events were still occurring. These soldiers tend to avoid places, people, things that remind them of the event, and are highly sensitive to normal life experiences. Soldiers who are involved in a traumatic event may have a difficult time adjusting. A soldier may experience the inability to experience pleasure, isolation, and a reduced interest in activities. In many cases, however, the symptoms can get progressively worse, sometimes, even completely disrupting one's life.