Veterans Suffering More Than Physical Wounds

Monday, May 7th 2007, 9:59 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- State health officials say mental health workers in Oklahoma will soon be facing a surge in war veterans who suffer post-traumatic stress disorder. Dan Jones at the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center says even people who aren't in combat are now experiencing the disorder. He says servicemen and women in Iraq are seeing their own units being killed even if they're not in combat.

The National Center for PTSD expects at least 11% of Afghanistan veterans and 18 percent of Iraq veterans will suffer PTSD at some point in their lives.

And Steve Scruggs at the VA hospital says a recent study of people who came to the hospital found 25 percent of vets of the two wars had some form of mental health problem.

Scruggs says that study is only of veterans who actively sought treatment.