Adolescent Substance Abuse Articles
Study: Noncombative military personnel at risk for PTSD
By Staff Writer
New research involving noncombatant military personnel indicates that while these individuals may not engage in physical combat, they still stand a chance of developing post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The study, which is published in the December 2010 issue of the Journal of Traumatic Stress, evaluated active-duty U.S. Air Force members in Iraq and Qatar who were serving in support roles.
At the time of the study, Qatar was considered to be safe, while Iraq was a combat zone. Personnel who were deployed to Iraq were shown to be six times more likely to screen positive for PTSD.
According to the researchers behind the study, noncombative personnel who are exposed to trauma may be at a higher risk of developing PTSD than individuals who serve on the front lines. This is due to the fact that combatants receive training for potentially traumatic situations while those filling noncombative support roles are not insulated from exposure to trauma.
These individuals may not be on the front lines, but they still encounter a number of incidents that may inspire PTSD, including rocket attacks and the processing of human remains. For the researchers, these results highlight the importance of mental health screening for all military personnel who have deployed to a war zone.
