White Matter in Liars Permissions Reprints/ from Downloaded War and Psychological Health War and Psychological Health Declaration of Interest Declaration of Interest

The study by Hacker Hughes The study by Hacker Hughes et al et al (2005) is (2005) is interesting but I wish to raise a few points. interesting but I wish to raise a few points. The end of pre-deployment mental health The end of pre-deployment mental health briefing was not the best time for assess-briefing was not the best time for assessment because the soldiers were aware that ment because the soldiers were aware that they would soon be going to war and hence they would soon be going to war and hence their stress levels must have been high. One their stress levels must have been high. One month after the return from the war, they month after the return from the war, they must have felt relieved and their stress must have felt relieved and their stress levels must have been reduced. Since the levels must have been reduced. Since the stress levels were high at the time of initial stress levels were high at the time of initial assessment, lack of increased morbidity at assessment, lack of increased morbidity at the final evaluation might not mean much. the final evaluation might not mean much. It would have been more appropriate to It would have been more appropriate to compare stress levels at the final evaluation compare stress levels at the final evaluation with those measured during peacetime. with those measured during peacetime. Although the soldiers were told that the Although the soldiers were told that the commanders would be informed about only commanders would be informed about only the pooled results, they were told that mili-the pooled results, they were told that military mental health practitioners would tary mental health practitioners would contact them confidentially if results contact them confidentially if results revealed cause for concern. This means that revealed cause for concern. This means that the answers were not anonymous and hence the answers were not anonymous and hence the soldiers may have hidden their psycho-the soldiers may have hidden their psycho-pathology for fear of being considered pathology for fear of being considered weak and the consequences of being under weak and the consequences of being under treatment of the military mental health treatment of the military mental health practitioner. These soldiers were in the practitioner. These soldiers were in the war theatre for only 4 months and it has war theatre for only 4 …