Psychiatric diagnoses and treatment of U.S. military personnel while deployed to Iraq

Abstract

Military personnel deployed in support of combat operations are at significantly higher risk for mental health problems. However, much of what we know about combat-related mental health comes from postdeployment assessments. This study describes the mental health of 1,336 treatment-seeking deployed U.S. military personnel and interventions recommended by military mental health providers in Iraq from January 2006 to January 2007. Cases were primarily young enlisted men, most of whom were on their first combat deployment. Marines made up the majority of the cases (60%), but there were also large numbers of Army and Navy personnel. The most common psychiatric diagnoses were anxiety disorders (31%, including 11% with posttraumatic stress disorder), followed by adjustment (27%) and mood disorders (25%, including 22% with depression). Medication was the most commonly prescribed treatment for patients with psychiatric diagnoses but was often combined with recommendations for psychotherapy/counseling and/or behavioral modifications. The findings illustrate the distribution of mental health conditions seen among treatment-seeking troops while actively serving in a combat environment and the interventions recommended for them. Further examination of postdeployment health outcomes may help to facilitate the development of more effective acute intervention strategies in theater.