National Center for PTSD and

MILITARY VETERANS EXPERIENCING PTSD

http://www.ncptsd.org/    A program of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

"The National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) was created within the Department of Veterans Affairs in 1989, in response to a Congressional mandate to address the needs of veterans with military-related PTSD. Its mission was, and remains: To advance the clinical care and social welfare of America's veterans through research, education, and training in the science, diagnosis, and treatment of PTSD and stress-related disorders. This website is provided as an educational resource concerning PTSD and other enduring consequences of traumatic stress."

 

Several recent news stories are beginning to discuss PTSD as it is affecting individuals who have returned from U.S. military service in Iraq and Afghanistan.  CBS News reports, "A study in the New England Journal of Medicine finds post-traumatic stress disorder is more prevalent among veterans of Iraq than of Afghanistan. Roughly 16 percent of Iraq vets had PTSD, compared to 11 percent of Afghanistan vets. Only about two in five Iraq vets have sought treatment. "  (July 1, 2004)

Many of you will (or do) have students whose parents and other loved ones have been among those suffering from PSTD upon their return from military service.  How would you deal with such issues in your classrooms?  Or would you deem it best not to try?

Here are links to recent reports on PTSD and the military:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/07/01/eveningnews/main627134.shtml
"GIs Trained For Combat, Not Grief."  (CBS News, July 13, 2004)

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5425543    "'Post-traumatic stress disorder.'  Many returning soldiers are struggling with memories of what they  endured in Iraq. NBC's Don Teague reports on the growing prevalence of stress disorders among U.S. troops."  (NBC News, July 12, 2004)

http://www.vetshome.com/ptsd_in_ww2_vets.htm   "PTSD in WWII Vets:  Late onset trauma plagues war veterans"   VetsHome.com

http://www.ncptsd.org/facts/veterans/fs_native_vets.html   "The Legacy of Psychological Trauma from the Vietnam War for American Indian Military Personnel."   A National Center for PTSD Fact Sheet: The Matsunaga Vietnam Veterans Project.

http://www.ncptsd.org/topics/war.html       The Iraq War Clinician Guide, 2nd Edition.  The Iraq War Clinician Guide was developed by members of the National Center for PTSD and the Department of Defense. It was developed specifically for clinicians and addresses the unique needs of veterans of the Iraq war.