Researchers from VA and the Department of Defense (DOD) recently released findings of a new study called Prospective Post-Traumatic Stress disorder Symptom Trajectories in Active Duty and Separated Military Personnel, which examines Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms in Veterans, compared with active-duty populations.

This is the first known study comparing PTSD symptom trajectories of current service members with those of Veterans, and is the product of a collaborative effort from VA and DOD researchers analyzing data from the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS), the largest prospective health study of military service members.

According to VA’s National Center for PTSD, the PTSD rate among Vietnam Veterans was 30.9 percent for men and 26.9 percent for women. For Gulf War Veterans, the PTSD rate was 12.1 percent. Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom Veterans had a PTSD rate of 13.8 percent.

“Knowing there are similarities in how PTSD affects service members and Veterans makes it easier to pinpoint which treatments are the best to control the condition,” said Dr. Edward Boyko, an epidemiologist and internist at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System in Washington state, and VA’s lead researcher on the Millennium Cohort Study.

Officials involved with the project said they are hoping the collaboration will improve the understanding of Veterans’ health needs, relative to their experiences in service.

“The data that MCS researchers have been collecting since 2001 is incredibly valuable for both the DOD and VA,” said Dr. Dennis Faix, director of the Millennium Cohort Study and preventive medicine physician. “Going forward, working with VA will allow both agencies to make sure we are getting the best information to develop a comprehensive understanding of the continuum of health in current and former service members.”

The results of the joint VA DOD study will appear in the Journal of Psychiatric Research’s June 2017 issue. It is the first of many joint future publications expected to result from the collaboration between VA and MCS.

You can learn more about the study here: http://millenniumcohort.org/.

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6 Comments

  1. Warriors Heart April 12, 2017 at 14:50

    We hope this is the first step towards better understanding this damaging condition. Veterans who dedicated their lives for our safety should not go through so much suffering.

  2. sagar@songspk21 April 9, 2017 at 08:24

    Nice blog. This blog is about affairs. Its really lovely. Thanks for sharing.

  3. MARK ANDERSON April 1, 2017 at 14:51

    PTSD is a normal reaction to an abnormal situation.

    The best way to treat any disease is to conduct measures that help prevent the disease. How can this be done? Obviously avoiding war, but at times war is the only answer. IN MY OPINION, having a higher power is the best way to prevent PTSD. I can’t imagine how my unit’s tour in eastern Ramadi would have been back in ’05-’06 had I not known where I was going if I died. I was so close to God that all of my actions were made with the best intentions so I have no guilt for any of the blood that was spilled. Nearly all actions were of reflex, except for when there was sniper fire. Sniper fi

    Helpful treatment after getting PTSD (or even depression/anxiety):

    1. ESSENTIAL OILS!! – For example, Lavender helps you relax and reduces nightmares
    2. DIET – 90% of your seratonin is in your gut. Therefore a healthy gut is crucial!
    3. PITBULLS – Okay, not neccassarily pitbulls but they are my favorite breed. Studies have shown suicide rates to disappear LANDLORDS, PLEASE ALLOW PET OWNERSHIP!!!!
    4. Chill Pill – I bought it for my mom as a joke and it ended up being amazing
    5. STAY BUSY – An idle mind is the devi’ls playground.

    I hope this helps. I hope to start a company specializing in natural remedies. I pitched it to the VA and at least tried to get them to relax on the garbage the doctors prescribe but they weren’t having it. For now I own a real estate, construction, acquisition support, and other professional services if anyone needs any assistance. I figured I spent time writing the above information instead of working so I need to at least include my company contact information. Pittsburgh is a great city to invest. Please share!

    Thank you,
    Mark

    (redacted)

    • Larry Davis April 10, 2017 at 11:15

      Thanks Mark for the great info. I had heard about the lavender oil. Where do you apply it. I am a Vietnam vet and have ptsd.

  4. Sandra Benge March 31, 2017 at 11:05

    The percentage is lower for recent wars because the VA refuses to diagnosis PTSD for veterans.. There are just as many if not MORE veterans with PTSD. Wake up VA!!!

  5. Kenneth Earl Gamble March 31, 2017 at 10:56

    I have attended the Vet Center group sessions at the Nashville center for the last four years. They have helped me to cope with a lot of my issues. It is a great program and I don’t think I could do without it but I heard about a program called ” Operation Song ” and I signed up. After eight weeks with these guys I felt better about myself was able to voice things that I couldn’t before. Operation song is a great tool to deal with PTSD. I greatly recommend this program for any of my brothers with PTSD.

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