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U.S. ignores trauma of returning soldiers at its peril, warns PTSD specialist

U.S. ignores trauma of returning soldiers at its peril, warns PTSD specialist The U.S. is facing a national crisis it doesn’t want to talk about, says trauma specialist Bessel van der Kolk. The country’s veterans are returning home physically and mentally damaged, with higher rates of post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide and grim employment prospects. In a three-part series, CBC’s Ideas program examines the consequences of leaving trauma untreated. (Source: CBC | Health)

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U.S. ignores trauma of returning soldiers at its peril, warns PTSD specialist

U.S. ignores trauma of returning soldiers at its peril, warns PTSD specialist The U.S. is facing a national crisis it doesn’t want to talk about, says trauma specialist Bessel van der Kolk. The country’s veterans are returning home physically and mentally damaged, with higher rates of post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide and grim employment prospects. In a three-part series, CBC’s Ideas program examines the consequences of leaving trauma untreated. (Source: CBC | Health)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Directory of the best January Sales in the UK. Find the best Christmas presents too.

Accuracy of screening for posttraumatic stress disorder in specialty mental health clinics in the U.S. Veterans Affairs Healthcare System.

Accuracy of screening for posttraumatic stress disorder in specialty mental health clinics in the U.S. Veterans Affairs Healthcare System.

Accuracy of screening for posttraumatic stress disorder in specialty mental health clinics in the U.S. Veterans Affairs Healthcare System.

Psychiatry Res. 2016 Apr 21;240:157-162

Authors: Tsai J, Pietrzak RH, Hoff RA, Harpaz-Rotem I

Abstract

This study 1) describes the prevalence of positive PTSD screens among male, female, and OEF/OIF/OND veterans using various PTSD Checklist-Military version (PCL-M) criteria; 2) evaluates the sensitivity and specificity of various PCL-M criteria; and 3) identifies optimal screening criteria in predicting clinician-documented PTSD diagnoses. VA electronic medical records data from 327,093 veterans during 2008-2012 were analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses compared PCL-M scores against clinician-documented PTSD diagnoses. Results showed that different PCL-M scoring criteria resulted in 62.0-84.5% of veterans screening positive for PTSD compared to 40.1% with a clinician-documented PTSD diagnosis. Sensitivity of the PCL-M ranged from 73.7 to 93.5% and specificity ranged from 21.6 to 45.8% for all veterans. The optimal PCL-M cut score according to Youden’s index was ≥45 for male veterans, ≥35 for female veterans, and ≥38 for OEF/OIF/OND veterans. Self-report measures like the PCL-M may be a useful screening tool for identifying probable PTSD in VA specialty clinics, but they should be calibrated for different veteran subgroups and followed by structured clinical interviews.

PMID: 27107669 [PubMed – as supplied by publisher]

Belonging protects against postdeployment depression in military personnel.

Belonging protects against postdeployment depression in military personnel.

http:--media.wiley.com-assets-7315-19-WiRelated Articles

Belonging protects against postdeployment depression in military personnel.

Depress Anxiety. 2015 May;32(5):349-55

Authors: Bryan CJ, Heron EA

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Depression among U.S. military personnel has received relatively little empirical attention compared to posttraumatic stress disorder, despite evidence that depression is associated with poor psychosocial outcomes and increased suicide risk. Even less is known about factors that protect against depression in military populations.

METHODS: A sample of 168 active duty Air Force convoy operators completed self-report measures of depression, posttraumatic stress, and sense of “belonging” before deploying to Iraq, and again at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months following their return. Linear growth modeling was used to test the associations of the variables over time.

RESULTS: Mean depression scores remained low and stable across the deployment and 12-month follow-up period. Increased depression severity was significantly associated with low belonging (P < .001) and with posttraumatic stress symptoms (P < .001) at every time point.

LIMITATIONS: Relatively small, predominantly male sample utilizing self-report methods.

CONCLUSIONS: A sense of belongingness may protect service members from depression at all stages of the deployment cycle, from predeployment preparations through deployment and postdeployment adjustment.

PMID: 25903038 [PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE]