Bliese, P. D., Wright, K. M., Adler, A. B., Thomas, J. L., & Hoge, C. W. (2007). Timing of postcombat mental health assessments. Psychological Services, 4, 141-148. When soldiers return from combat and peacekeeping operations, the United States and many NATO and Partnership for Peace countries conduct some form of postdeployment mental health assessment. In this study, the authors examined the ...

Professors Peter Feaver, Christopher Gelpi, and Jason Reifler’s theory of the determinants of public support for war has received a great deal of attention among academics, journalists, and policymakers. They argue that support for war hinges on initial support for military action and the belief in the success of the war. In this review, we take a critical and constructive view of their work, f...

Over the last few months a strong and steady expression of alarm about the humanitarian consequences of conflict in Iraq has come from the medical profession. 3 The latest report on the health impact of war in the Gulf has come from the WHO, and is a graphic illustration of the need for concern. Deterioration of public utilities, transport, and health infrastructures over the last twelve years ...

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is reported to be caused by traumatic events that are outside the range of usual human experiences including (but not limited to) military combat, violent personal assault, being kidnapped or taken hostage and terrorist attacks. Initial data suggests that 1 out of 6 returning Iraq War military personnel are exhibiting symptoms of depression, anxiety and PTS...

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was examined as a risk factor for suicidal ideation in Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans (N = 407) referred to Veterans Affairs mental health care. The authors also examined if risk for suicidal ideation was increased by the presence of comorbid mental disorders in veterans with PTSD. Veterans who screened positive for PTSD were more than 4 times as likely t...

U.S. combat veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars have elevated rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compared to the general population. Self-compassion, characterized by self-kindness, a sense of common humanity when faced with suffering, and mindful awareness of suffering, is a potentially modifiable factor implicated in the development and maintenance of PTSD. We examined the co...

High rates of respiratory symptoms (14%) and new-onset asthma in previously healthy soldiers (6.6%) have been reported among military personnel post-deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan. The term Iraq/Afghanistan War-Lung Injury (IAW-LI) is used to describe the constellation of respiratory diseases related to hazards of war, such as exposure to burning trash in burn pits, improvised explosive dev...

Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans were grouped by level of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology and compared on self-report measures of trait anger, hostility, and aggression. Veterans who screened positive for PTSD reported significantly greater anger and hostility than those in the subthreshold-PTSD and non-PTSD groups. Veterans in the subthreshold-PTSD group reported significa...

This case study presents an overview of the conceptualization and treatment of two veterans of the Iraq War who presented for combat-related treatment at a Veterans Administration Medical Center. In addition to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms of reexperiencing, arousal, and avoidance, the veterans exhibited compulsive checking behaviors that appear to be influenced by theater-spec...

Doug Thompson; Ashley Fisher, MA The war in Iraq is the largest and longest sustained combat operation by the U.S. military since the Vietnam war. An estimated nearly 2 million U.S. military personnel have been deployed for Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom [1]. Dr. Chuck Scoville, Col. Ret., Chief of Amputee Patient Care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, stated that as o...