Major Study Shows Lasting Effects of PTSD
Sep 10, 2014
Legal Help for Veterans is a law firm helping veterans get the benefits they deserve.
Northville, MI (Law Firm Newswire) September 10, 2014 – A landmark study examining the lifetime effects of combat-related PTSD has shown that the disorder can have serious long-term consequences. The National Vietnam Veterans Longitudinal Study, published by Abt Associates and funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs, is the first-ever large-scale, long-term study of combat-related PTSD, according to the New York Times.
Abt’s study showed that over a 25-year period, veterans with PTSD were twice as likely to die prematurely as veterans without PTSD. Although the study did not point to a leading cause, it did find that warzone PTSD sufferers were more likely to develop heart disease and other chronic conditions, were more likely to die of cancer, and were more likely to die of external causes such as suicide or injury.
“This study shows the absolute urgency of getting veterans suffering from PTSD into treatment,” said veterans disability attorney Jim Fausone. “Some veterans see treatment as an embarrassment or a hassle, and they need to be made aware of the long-term risks of leaving PTSD untreated.”
The authors of the new study claim that neither sex nor ethnicity skew the negative health risks and increased mortality rate associated with combat-related PTSD. However, the new study did confirm previously-established conclusions that people of certain ethnic backgrounds and those who have not obtained a high school diploma are more susceptible to developing PTSD, according to the Times.
The study began in 2010, following up on the thousands of veterans who participated in the 1987 National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study. The findings were published on August 8.
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