Return Troops Face Both Physical and Mental Challenges: Women Suffer from More Conditions Than Men, Study Finds
"A new study from the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, and Stanford University examines mental illness and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in returning veterans from Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Their research highlights that veterans suffering from PTSD also suffer more medical illnesses than do those with no mental health condition. This effect is even more pronounced in women than in men. The authors analyzed data for over 90,000 men and women who use Veterans Health Administration (VHA) services to compare the number of diagnosed medical conditions suffered by returning soldiers with PTSD and by those with no mental health condition.
The majority of both men and women had a diagnosed mental health condition. The burden of medical illness was greater for those with post-traumatic stress disorder than for those with no mental health issues, with women worse off than men. Women with PTSD suffered more medical conditions than did those with no mental health condition -- a median value of 7 conditions versus 4.5, the most frequent of which were lower spine disorders, headache and lower extremity joint disorders."
What We Do
NCRW is a network of leading university and community based research, policy, and advocacy centers with a growing global reach dedicated to advancing rights and opportunities for women and girls. We also have a Corporate Circle comprised of senior diversity professionals from leading U.S. and global member companies and a Presidents Circle of college and university leaders who share our commitment. NCRW harnesses the collective power of its network to provide knowledge, analysis, and thought leadership on issues ranging from reducing women’s poverty to building a critical mass of women’s leadership across sectors.
Print-friendly
Send to friend