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Study: Half of war vets have psych issues

More than half of a sample of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans returned from the combat zones with mental health issues, and one in four had other health concerns, according to a new study from the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

Researchers Drew Helmer and his colleagues looked at 56 veterans — 45 men and 11 women — of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Doctors at the War-Related Illness and Injury Study Center at the VA New Jersey Health Care System performed exams on each veteran.

Researchers looked at 17 active-duty veterans with an average age of 28, and 39 reservists with an average age of 36. The active-duty veterans deployed on average for eight months, while the reservists deployed for 15 months.

The researchers found an average of four health problems per veteran, with musculoskeletal problems being the most common. According to the Defense Department, musculoskeletal problems are also the top reason soldiers get out of the Army on medical discharges. Ear, nose and throat problems, as well as gastrointestinal injuries, were next on the list.

Of those assessed, 55 percent were diagnosed with a mental health concern. Forty-nine percent of the reservists had post-traumatic stress disorder, compared to 35 percent of the active-duty veterans. Other studies have suggested longer deployments may contribute to higher rates of PTSD.

The veterans also averaged 2.7 concerns about potentially hazardous exposures, such as burning trash, human waste, vaccinations and depleted uranium. The researchers found that veterans worried about the long-term health problems associated with exposures to those materials but only a few had health problems now because of them.

Helmer and his colleagues recommended screening for musculoskeletal issues during post-deployment exams and also called for military health care providers to better educate themselves about potentially hazardous exposure to wartime environmental substances.