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Marta Lopez
Psychology 1010
Combat is often highly traumatic with exposure to immediate threats of injury and death. The
most common immediate psychological breakdown on the battlefield is known as combat stress
reaction (CSR; Solomon, 1993). With the end of the war, the debilitating effects of combat stress
may evolve in some cases, while in others they may form into posttraumatic stress disorder
(PTSD). PTSD may develop after the war and is marked by a range of debilitating symptoms,
which are often long lasting and resistant to treatment (American Psychiatric Association [APA],
2000). PTSD may follow increased physical and psychological health risk in combat soldiers and
PTSD was the most common mental health diagnosis in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation
Enduring Freedom veterans. Approximately 7.5% of U.S. Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation
Enduring Freedom, and Operation New Dawn combat veterans develop posttraumatic stress
disorder. Despite psychological treatments and efforts to train providers many service members
do not complete enough treatment sessions for PTSD. Seventy percent of U.S. veterans of Iraq
experienced numerous life-threatening situations and reported higher rates of PTSD, depression,
and overall mental health risk. PTSD or two or mental disorders was highly
predictive of suicide in Iraq and Afghanistan U.S. veterans. Recovery from PTSD is
not returning to a pre-traumatic state but being able to function in life and maintain productive,
normal part of recovery from life threatening combat traumas and explain that treatment makes
transition into civil life easier. Evidence shows that OIF/OEF veterans are less disturbed
psychologically and show higher rates of improvement than veterans from earlier wars can also
be shared to help veterans overcome fear of being stigmatized for seeking help (Fontana &
Rosenheck, 2008). The human cost of war is heavy, but evidence shows that suicide
prevention and PTSD recovery for combat-trauma survivors is increasingly possible with more
Bibliography
Goetter, E. M., Bui, E., Ojserkis, R. A., Zakarian, R. J., Brendel, R. W., & Simon, N. M. (2015).
A Systematic Review of Dropout From Psychotherapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among
Iraq and Afghanistan Combat Veterans. Journal Of Traumatic Stress, 28(5), 401-409.