Q&A
Questioning PTSD prevalence among veteran groups
0:31:22
·
88 sec
Council Member Holden questions the claim that veterans don't experience PTSD at higher rates than the general population. Commissioner Hendon clarifies the nuances in PTSD rates among different veteran groups based on combat experience.
- PTSD rates vary significantly between the entire veteran community and combat veterans
- Vietnam combat veterans: 10% PTSD rate
- Desert Shield/Storm combat veterans: 21% PTSD rate
- Operation Enduring Freedom/Iraqi Freedom combat veterans: 29% PTSD rate
Robert F. Holden
0:31:22
just want to I'll ask a few questions, and I'll turn it over to my colleague, Linda Lee, and then obviously counsel members.
0:31:31
Can And this is like a this is not an exact science, but, obviously, you identified, you said, well, the veterans don't experience PTSD higher than the normal population really essentially.
0:31:44
I don't know how we measure that.
0:31:48
So I'm I'm skeptical a little bit about that because, you know, depends on I know I speak to Vietnam.
0:31:54
That's a lot because that's that's my age group.
0:31:57
And you can see I could see there they have issues, many of them.
0:32:04
That they're I guess that they don't some of them don't admit or don't know it, that they they're experiencing issues.
James Hendon
0:32:12
I wanna I I guess it's on the testimony, so it's looking at the entire veteran community.
Robert F. Holden
0:32:16
Right.
James Hendon
0:32:16
And then it's looking at folks with comp who've been in combat.
0:32:19
And so with the entire veteran community, we're looking at 7% for the entire veteran community.
0:32:23
Right.
0:32:23
But when you look at Vietnam, you know, as far as those Vietnam airvettes, we experience combat, you get 10%.
0:32:28
When you look at those desert shield, desert storm vets, you know, those who were down range, you're looking at 21%, and you look at the operation.
0:32:35
And during freedom, I reckon freedom, those who have been, indeed, who have gone, you're looking at 29%.
0:32:41
So I think that's the nuance, Mister Cheers Forest.
0:32:43
When we look at the entire veteran community, but when we look at these subcomponents as far as our combat veterans, I wanna kinda tease that out.
Robert F. Holden
0:32:50
Yeah.
