Study reveals US veterans' trauma

Concern has been mounting over the treatment of returning soldiers

A quarter of US veterans treated by doctors when they return from Iraq and Afghanistan suffer mental health problems, according to US research.

The study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, looked at 103,788 personnel between 2001 and 2005.

The most frequent diagnosis was post-traumatic stress disorder, but anxiety, depression and substance-use also counted as mental health problems.

Those surveyed were already being treated at veterans' health centres.

The study is therefore not representative of US veterans as a whole. Less than one third of returning soldiers made use of these government-funded Veteran Affairs (VA) health care facilities during the period studied.

Nonetheless, it comes amid a deepening scandal over the treatment of soldiers returning from duty.

VETERANS' MENTAL HEALTH Post-traumatic stress disorder - 13% Anxiety and adjustment disorder - 6% Depression and substance abuse - 5% Young soldiers most at risk Source: Archives of Internal Medicine Combat stress Veterans' invisible wounds

It emerged on Monday that the army's top doctor, Lt Gen Kevin Kiley was stepping down following revelations about conditions at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the flagship US army hospital.

He became the third top-ranking official to lose his job over reports that soldiers at the hospital were being treated in buildings infested with rats and cockroaches and where the walls were covered in mould.

Gen Kiley had filed a "request to retire" on Sunday, the army said. However, a senior Pentagon official speaking on condition of anonymity said the acting US army secretary, Peter Geren, had asked Gen Kiley to retire.

Young at risk

The mental health study revealed those most at risk were young soldiers, aged between 18 and 24.

Gen Kiley resigned amid reports of scandalous hospital conditions

This group "had a significantly higher risk of receiving one or more mental health diagnoses and post-traumatic stress disorder compared with active duty veterans 40 years or older," the study reported.

"Our results signal a need for improvements in the primary prevention of military service-related mental health disorders, particularly among our youngest service members."

The prominence of young soldiers could be linked to the fact that young soldiers are more likely to be exposed to combat than their older counterparts, the study noted.

Post-traumatic stress disorder was suffered by 13% of the group, followed by anxiety and adjustment disorder among 6%, and depression and substance abuse among 5%.

The researchers warned against using their study to draw generalisations about the state of the military.

"Our results may overestimate the burden of mental health disorders because veterans with mental health disorders may be more likely to seek treatment at a VA facility than those without."