6 veterans per day seeking post-traumatic stress help – military charity
Experts warn the “floodgates” of post-traumatic stress are about to open, as a top armed forces charity claims mental health issues among military personnel have risen 26 percent over the last year.
The charity Combat Stress, which supports veterans with mental health issues said: “This increase is mainly accounted for by a marked rise in those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan seeking help.”
Some 2,264 personnel have requested treatment with three-quarters said to be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – an average of six veterans per day over the last 12 months.
Many are also affected by depression and abuse of alcohol and drugs – symptoms associated with the condition.
Head of medical services at Combat Stress Dr Walter Busuttil said: “It is the biggest increase we have seen in recent years and we expect it to continue, so we are building up our clinical services accordingly.”
“I do think there needs to be more significant investment in relation to veterans’ mental health. The good news is that we do have treatments that work.”
In a report carried out over the last two years, Combat Stress claims the success rates for veterans on its PTSD Intensive Treatment Programs are around 90 percent.… Read more