Army Misdiagnosed Soldiers Suffering From PTSD
Katie Drummond Contributor
AOL News Surge Desk
(Aug. 16) -- Hundreds of troops suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder as a direct result of combat were subsequently fired from the Army for pre-existing medical conditions instead of being given Pentagon-funded treatment, veterans' advocates and reports say.
Now, advocates are pushing the Pentagon to re-examine thousands of diagnoses and, if necessary, re-institute medical care and benefits that some troops had been denied.
PTSD vs. Personality Disorder
The key diagnostic distinction comes down to PTSD versus personality disorders. The latter are defined as "pre-existing" conditions, making them fair grounds for dismissal from military service and denial of benefits.
For years, military discharge records indicate that the Army was misdiagnosing soldiers suffering from PTSD, contending that the soldiers suffered from personality disorders and therefore couldn't qualify for veterans' care or disability benefits, according to an investigative report published in April in The Nation.
Between 2005 and 2007, the Army discharged 1,000 troops a year for personality disorders, the report said. After harsh governmental and public criticism, policy changes led to a 75 percent decrease in such diagnoses, it said.
PTSD is considered a treatable disorder, caused by the rigors of war or other severe trauma. The number of troops found to suffer from PTSD has doubled since 2008, when the shift in policy occurred, the report said.
Progress Thus Far -- or a Lack Thereof?
Advocates want to see veterans re-evaluated, and the Pentagon says it has complied with that request.
"We did not find evidence that soldiers with PTSD had been inappropriately discharged with personality disorder," Maria Tolleson, a spokeswoman at the U.S. Army Medical Command, wrote to The Associated Press.
Not so fast, say several advocacy groups. They're alleging the Army never even interviewed dismissed veterans or their families during the review, and likely made crucial mistakes as a result.
Now, members of the National Veterans Legal Services Program are conducting their own independent review of 130 cases. They've also partnered with several law firms that are willing to offer free legal services to vets who think they were wrongly dismissed.
Providing Better PTSD Protection
More than 14,000 troops have been diagnosed with PTSD since 2008, and studies estimate one in five veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars likely suffer from the condition.
Which means the military's got much more to do when it comes to addressing PTSD. First up is accurately diagnosing and documenting it, a process that could soon be revamped in a mega-database being developed this year. The database would rely on telemedicine and wireless Web connections to document soldiers' injuries as soon as they happen, and then monitor their mental health in the weeks, months and years that followed.
Of course, that assumes the military can even diagnose PTSD in the first place. The condition -- which, notably, can have symptoms similar to personality disorders, like depression, anxiety, anger -- lacks a foolproof diagnostic method, and the associated stigma often prevents veterans from seeking evaluation at all.
Filed under: Nation, Health, Surge Desk
Tagged: post traumatic stress disorder help, veterans, veterans affairs, army, ptsd, u s army medical command, national veterans legal services program, post traumatic stress disorder, post traumatic stress syndrome
Related Searches: veterans benefits, department of veterans affairs, va benefits for veterans, post traumatic stress disorder veterans
Katie Drummond Contributor
AOL News Surge Desk
(Aug. 16) -- Hundreds of troops suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder as a direct result of combat were subsequently fired from the Army for pre-existing medical conditions instead of being given Pentagon-funded treatment, veterans' advocates and reports say.
Now, advocates are pushing the Pentagon to re-examine thousands of diagnoses and, if necessary, re-institute medical care and benefits that some troops had been denied.
PTSD vs. Personality Disorder
The key diagnostic distinction comes down to PTSD versus personality disorders. The latter are defined as "pre-existing" conditions, making them fair grounds for dismissal from military service and denial of benefits.
For years, military discharge records indicate that the Army was misdiagnosing soldiers suffering from PTSD, contending that the soldiers suffered from personality disorders and therefore couldn't qualify for veterans' care or disability benefits, according to an investigative report published in April in The Nation.
Between 2005 and 2007, the Army discharged 1,000 troops a year for personality disorders, the report said. After harsh governmental and public criticism, policy changes led to a 75 percent decrease in such diagnoses, it said.
PTSD is considered a treatable disorder, caused by the rigors of war or other severe trauma. The number of troops found to suffer from PTSD has doubled since 2008, when the shift in policy occurred, the report said.
Progress Thus Far -- or a Lack Thereof?
Advocates want to see veterans re-evaluated, and the Pentagon says it has complied with that request.
"We did not find evidence that soldiers with PTSD had been inappropriately discharged with personality disorder," Maria Tolleson, a spokeswoman at the U.S. Army Medical Command, wrote to The Associated Press.
Not so fast, say several advocacy groups. They're alleging the Army never even interviewed dismissed veterans or their families during the review, and likely made crucial mistakes as a result.
Now, members of the National Veterans Legal Services Program are conducting their own independent review of 130 cases. They've also partnered with several law firms that are willing to offer free legal services to vets who think they were wrongly dismissed.
Providing Better PTSD Protection
More than 14,000 troops have been diagnosed with PTSD since 2008, and studies estimate one in five veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars likely suffer from the condition.
Which means the military's got much more to do when it comes to addressing PTSD. First up is accurately diagnosing and documenting it, a process that could soon be revamped in a mega-database being developed this year. The database would rely on telemedicine and wireless Web connections to document soldiers' injuries as soon as they happen, and then monitor their mental health in the weeks, months and years that followed.
Of course, that assumes the military can even diagnose PTSD in the first place. The condition -- which, notably, can have symptoms similar to personality disorders, like depression, anxiety, anger -- lacks a foolproof diagnostic method, and the associated stigma often prevents veterans from seeking evaluation at all.
Filed under: Nation, Health, Surge Desk
Tagged: post traumatic stress disorder help, veterans, veterans affairs, army, ptsd, u s army medical command, national veterans legal services program, post traumatic stress disorder, post traumatic stress syndrome
Related Searches: veterans benefits, department of veterans affairs, va benefits for veterans, post traumatic stress disorder veterans