How common is it for troops to have mental health issues while they e in Iraq or Afghanistan?
Army studies of soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan show that roughly one in five develop post-traumatic stress disorder, depression or anxiety. The mental health problems grow more severe with each new deployment. Studies show that larger numbers of veteran non-commissioned officers — the sergeants and staff sergeants who are considered the “backbone” of the military — develop mental health problems with each successive deployment. Nearly three out of 10 begin suffering these problems by the third or fourth deployment.
