Repeat Iraq Tours Raise Risk of PTSD
The US Army's first survey exploring multiple war zone rotations revealed that soldiers serving repeat deployments to Iraq are 50 percent more likely than those with one tour to suffer from acute combat stress, raising their risk of post-traumatic stress disorder. More than 650,000 American soldiers have been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan since 2001, more than 170,000 have served multiple tours. The findings support the claim that some soldiers are returning to battle while still suffering from the psychological scars of earlier combat tours. Ann Scott Tyson Reports for the Washington Post.
December 2006

Jail term for Iraq war veteran
An Iraq war veteran suffering from post traumatic stress disorder has been jailed for threatening a man he visited for drugs with a stolen pistol. Danny McKee, who was a Lance Corporal in the Royal Engineers at the time, was sentenced to three years in prison. Recorder Nicholas Gerasimidis said McKee went there for heroin, but left empty-handed. In the professional opinion of two doctors involved with the case, when McKee committed the offence he was not acting in a "flashback experience". BBC News Reports.
December 2006

MoD agrees £ 375,000 for post-trauma stress
A former soldier has won a £ 370,000 payout from the Ministry of Defence after suffering from post traumatic stress disorder following an incident in Iraq. The soldier was one of three comrades suing the MoD after a rocket exploded in a firing test in March 2003. An official claimed the settlement was being made due to the incident occurring in a "non-combat situation". Michael Evans reports for the Times.
November 2006

Reservists offered better mental health care
New plans reveal that military reservists will soon be eligible for Ministry of Defence funded psychiatric care. The move comes after a government-funded study last May reported that 25% of reservists deployed to Iraq reported mental health problems, compared with 19% of regulars, who often have better support networks inside closer military communities. Mark Oliver reports for the Guardian.
November 2006

Who will crack up in war?
A recent study from the Kings College Centre for Military Health Research (CMHR), published in the BMJ, looked at appraisals of the mental health of nearly 3,000 servicemen, assessed before and after war in Iraq. The experts had hoped to predict, before soldiers went to war, how they would fare and who would suffer mental health problems associated with their military duties. Results of the study suggested that not even the experts are able to easily assess how servicemen would fare. Dr Thomas Stuttaford reports for the Times.
November 2006
The full original article (Rona, R.J., Hooper, R., Jones, M., Hull, L., Browne, T., Horn, O., Murphy, D., Hotopf, M. and Wessely, S. (2006). Mental health screening in armed forces before the Iraq war and prevention of subsequent psychological morbidity: follow-up study. British Medical Journal, 333, 979-980), can be accessed at BMJ (subscribers only). The abstract is summarised in the "Recent Publications" section of this website.

Tsunami survivors slam UK officials
Almost 2 years on, 116 survivors and family members affected by the 2004 tsunami gave their views on how the disaster was handled by the British government. The independent report published recently found that UK agencies were initially "overwhelmed" by the disaster and concluded that while some of the immediate assistance was good, much of it was "piecemeal, inconsistent and inadequate". The Guardian Reports.
November 2006
The full report can be accessed on the National Audit Office Website: "Review of the Experiences of United Kingdom Nationals Affected by the Indian Ocean Tsunami" in PDF format (1240 kb). 
An important series of reports on tsunami relief and recovery response has recently been produced by the Tsunami Evaluation Coalition (TEC). The reports are available in hard copy and can also be accessed from the TEC website: http://www.tsunami-evaluation.org.

7/7 victims forced to pay for operations
A broken government promise to fast-track NHS treatment for 7/7 victims has left survivors angry and struggling financially. Beverli Rhodes, 42, was forced to pay £10,000 for treatment of face and jaw injuries after a year spent on NHS waiting lists. Victims claim they are unable to access the medical and psychological treatment promised by the UK government. Sarah Sims reports for the Guardian.
October 2006

After shock
It is estimated that between 25-30% of people involved in an event such as the London Bombings go on to develop full PTSD. These figures suggest that at the very least, 1,000 people directly affected by 7/7 should by now be displaying full-blown PTSD symptoms. A year on, attention turns to how these people can be helped. Alexander Linklater reports for the Guardian.
October 2006

VA's mental health caseload surges
More than one-third of veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars seeking medical treatment from the Veterans Health Administration report symptoms of stress or other mental health disorders. The tenfold increase observed over the past 18 months has triggered concern that the agency might not be able to meet the demand for care. Lolita C. Baldor reports for the Washington Post.
October 2006

'You're never going to be healed'
Like so many US troops returning from war in Iraq, 32 year old Trinette Johnson's life is now plagued with flashbacks, numbness, rage and anxiety. After the first war in which so many women have been so exposed to the same experiences as their male counterparts, it is time to probe how women are affected by combat. Donna St George reports for the Guardian.
September 2006

Counsellors raise victims' stress
Therapists who counsel victims in the immediate aftermath of a disaster increase the likelihood of those individuals going on to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, research has found. Dutch scientists who studied 236 survivors of traumatic events discovered that those given immediate one-to-one counselling or "emotional debriefing", are more likely to go on and demonstrate signs of post-traumatic stress disorder six weeks later. Michael Da reports for the Telegraph.
September 2006

9/11 continues to haunt survivors
Five years on, survivors of the September 11 attacks and their families still face a mix of old fears and anxieties, according to a survey of 500. The survey from the New York-based World Trade Center Family Center found that 75 percent of the respondents said "media coverage of 9/11-related issues continue to increase emotional distress, including grief, anxiety, fear of another attack and depression." Respondents named movies and ongoing news coverage as the worst culprits. Jennifer Harper reports for the Washington Times.
September 2006

Review of Landmark Study finds fewer Vietnam veterans with post-traumatic stress
Researchers recently reported that fewer Vietnam veterans suffered from post traumatic stress disorder than previously thought. The report, published in the journal Science, found that 18.7 percent of Vietnam veterans developed a diagnosable stress disorder linked to a war event, well under the previously reported figure of 30.9 percent. While the earlier analysis found that for 15.2 percent of the veterans continued to experience disabling symptoms at the time they were examined, the new study put that figure at 9.1 percent. Benedict Carey reports for the New York Times. [Access for registered users of the NY Times. Registration is free.]
July 2006

For many of Katrina's young victims, the scars are more than skin deep
As the Hurricane season approaches experts consider the impact on Gulf Coast children. Ten months after Katrina the lasting emotional effect on children is evident. Studies of affected children have found high rates of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, which continue to disrupt young lives. Julia Cass reports for the Washington Post.
July 2006

£27,000 For jet crash trauma girl
A schoolgirl who was traumatised by a Jumbo Jet crashing yards from her family home recently received £27,500 compensation at the High Court. The girl received intensive treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after believing she was going to die. Mr Justice McKay commended the girl's "tremendous job" in coming to terms with her psychiatric injuries. Anil Dawar reports for the Telegraph.
July 2006

The trauma of childbirth
It is claimed that as many as 1 in 20 women suffers Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after giving birth. Sheila Kitzinger, the author of a new childbirth book claims that women are left psychologically scarred by the west's conveyor-belt approach to childbirth. Kitzinger comments that "There are many wonderful births but we should not forget those who are left in a state of anxiety". Carol Midgely reports for the Times.
July 2006

Psychiatrist sells his skills on E-bay
An NHS Psychiatrist has made the unprecedented move of trying to boost his income by selling his medical knowledge on e-bay. In a bid escape the "bureaucracy" of the NHS, Syed Shah intends to use the proceeds to fund a Masters course in Medical Statistics and open up a career in academia. The doctor is auctioning an "education" on 36 mental health topics including Depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Adam James reports for the Guardian.
June 2006

Ex-officer jailed for harassment
A former policeman who harassed a mother into looking at photos of her dead son became the first person to be convicted of Psychological Wounding in Northern Ireland. Martin Peter Kift, 44, harassed the mother over a period of a few months until she agreed to look at the death scene photographs. The ex-police officer has been jailed for three years. BBC News Reports.
June 2006

The trip of a lifetime
Originally a medical wonder drug and treatment for mental illness, LSD was discredited in the 1960s. Now a new generation is researching the medical benefits of psychedelic drugs, including psilocybin and MDMA. Professor Charles Grob believes that the benefits include reduced anxiety, better mood regulation and more acceptance by patients of their condition. Katy Hickman, Producer, BBC All in the Mind, reports.
April 2006

Jailing of Iraq veteran raises questions about combat stress
Lance Corporal James Piotrowski was recently jailed for 7 years after police say he threatened to 'spray them down' with stolen rifles. His defence and family maintain that Piotrowski was suffering from PTSD and that the army had not supported him since his return from the conflict in Iraq. The Guardian writer Audrey Gillan reports.
April 2006

There was a little girl clinging on to her dead dad screaming her eyes out
In a letter written from his military prison cell James Piotrowski details events he witnessed while serving on the frontline in Iraq which have contributed to him suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. He believes that the army refuses to recognise PTSD and their neglect means that his future looks bleak. James Piotrowski in a letter to The Guardian.
March 2006

The Iraq effect
Troops returning from war in Iraq face serious psychological stresses and depression. For these men and women the horrors experienced during their time in the Middle East continue to disrupt their lives back in the UK, The Observer writer Mark Townsend reports.
March 2006

Some troops headed back to Iraq are mentally ill
The US military is sending troops with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and other mental health problems back to Iraq. Many are being redeployed whilst taking prescribed antidepressant or anti-anxiety medications, San Diego Union Tribune writer Rick Rogers reports.
March 2006

New line to aid victims of trauma
A unique helpline for individuals traumatized by sudden death and injury has recently been launched in Scotland. The Sudden Trauma Information Service Helpline (Stish) is the first service of its kind in the UK and will initially be piloted for 1 year. BBC News reports.
February 2006

Pill could make painful memories a thing of past
Pill could make painful memories a thing of past
The drug Propranolol may potentially be useful in reducing the severity of traumatic stress reactions by altering the way memories are laid down, The Guardian Science Correspondent Alok Jha reports.
February 2006

Now Prozac battles dark dreams that Khmer Rouge left
A quarter of a century since the Khmer Rouge's fall from power, Cambodian citizens do not realize they have psychological problems. Most understand little about trauma in a country severely lacking in Psychiatric Services, New York Times writer Seth Mydans reports. [Access for registered users of the NY Times. Registration is free.]
February 2006

Elephants never forget . . . and cannot forgive
A new study reveals evidence that Elephants across Africa may be suffering from PTSD. Dr Poole research director at the Amboseli Elephant Research Project, in Kenya, claims that many elephants are suffering from traumatic stress brought on by experiencing stress at an early age. It is thought to be the first time it has been diagnosed in wild animals, The Times writer Thair Shaikh reports.
February 2006