The True Price of War

The RAND Corporation researchers have determined that nearly 20 percent of military service members who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan report symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder or major depression, yet only slight more than half have sought treatment. So, in reality, there is likely 40% of Iraq?Afghanistan troops with PTSD.

They also found " about 19 percent of returning service members report that they experienced a possible traumatic brain injury while deployed, with 7 percent reporting both a probable brain injury and current PTSD or major depression."

Rates of PTSD and major depression were highest among Army soldiers and Marines, and among service members who were no longer on active duty (people in the reserves and those who had been discharged or retired from the military)

Women, Hispanics and enlisted personnel all were more likely to report symptoms of PTSD and major depressions, but the single best predictor of PTSD and depression was exposure to combat trauma while deployed.

Just 53 percent of service members with PTSD or depression sought help from a provider over the past year, and of those who sought care, roughly half got minimally adequate treatment.

The RAND study estimates the societal costs of PTSD and major depression for two years after deployment range from about $6,000 to more than $25,000 per case. Depending whether the economic cost of suicide is included, the RAND study estimates the total society costs of the conditions for two years range from $4 billion to $6.2 billion.

The monetary cost pales in contrast to the human cost to families and to society.
Rand Corporation

As citizens of the United States, we must both honor our citizen warriors while demanding that our political leaders take action to address the societal damage incurred over a war that has questionable roots.

God Bless-

ANJYL