Rise in PTSD among those who served during Iraq and Afghanistan wars
Researchers called for continued investment in mental health services for Armed Forces staff and veterans.
Rates of probable PTSD among Armed Forces personnel who served during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars have more than doubled in the last 20 years.
A study following over 4,000 serving personnel and veterans since 2004 found nine percent were living with probable post-traumatic stress disorder in 2022-23. This was up from six percent in 2014-2016 and four percent in 2004-06.
Researchers at King’s College London said one possible reason for the increase was that risk of PTSD increases after people leave the Armed Forces, and 72 percent were ex-serving in the most recent phase.
The team noted that PTSD was not only caused by combat experience, as 29 percent of those with PTSD had not been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan.
Dr Marie-Louise Sharp, a senior research fellow at King’s Centre for Military Health Research, said: “Transition from service and integration into civilian life is difficult for some and can exacerbate PTSD symptoms.
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“There may also be more help-seeking and more awareness or acceptability to report mental health conditions, and that might be reflected in these rates.
“Additionally, it’s a majority male sample and rates of mental health conditions rise in men with age, peaking in their 40s.”
The research also found prevalence of common mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety had increased from 20 percent in 2004-06 to 28 percent in 2022-23.
However, rates of alcohol misuse fell from 15 percent to eight percent over the same period. Study participants had an average age of 51 and 86 percent were men. Some 61 percent had served in the army, 22 percent in the RAF and 17 percent in the naval services.
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The pandemic may also have contributed to the rise in mental health issues during the most recent phase of the research.
The researchers called for continued investment in mental health services for Armed Forces staff and veterans to help them cope with “the enduring impact of these conflicts”.
Prof Sir Simon Wessely, regius professor of psychiatry at King’s, said: “In many respects, the rates of PTSD are actually lower than you might expect, certainly compared to similar civilian trauma, the military are better prepared for that.
“But to think you can eliminate that is utopia. If you send people to war, there will be physical and psychological injuries.”
The study was commissioned and funded by the Office for Veterans’ Affairs. Minister for Veterans and People Al Carns said the report would help “understand how we can better support our serving and veteran communities, providing the right support at the right time”.
He added: “We are indebted to those who have made extraordinary sacrifices to protect our national security.
“A career in the Armed Forces is unlike any other and we recognise that our people are often presented with situations that can be physically and mentally challenging.
“I thank King’s College London for invaluable work and those serving personnel and veterans who contributed.”
