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Stress Disorder Surges Among US Troops

Number of diagnosed cases rises 46% to 14,000 last year
By Sam Gale Rosen,  Newser Staff
Posted May 27, 2008 5:00 PM CDT
Stress Disorder Surges Among US Troops
Sen. Barack Obama looks at a show of hands for those diagnosed with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) while participating in an MTV roundtable with Iraq war veterans.   (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Post-traumatic stress disorder is surging among US troops sent to Iraq and Afghanistan. New cases rose by more than 46% to nearly 14,000 in 2007, reports Reuters. In the last five years, about 40,000 cases have been diagnosed, most of them in the Army.

The military says the jump is partially due to greater awareness. "But we're also exposing more people to combat," says the Army surgeon general. Military officials said the actual number is higher because many do not seek treatment. (More PTSD stories.)

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