Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Needs to Be Recognized in Primary Care
Authors: Jennifer Fisher Wilson
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2007)

Current Clinical Issues17 April 2007Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Needs to Be Recognized in Primary CareJennifer Fisher WilsonJennifer Fisher WilsonAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-146-8-200704170-00025 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail All across the country, military health centers are facing a growing wave of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who are struggling to readjust to life at home. While the changes wrought by the physical injuries of war are obvious, many veterans' lives have been changed in more subtle ways by the psychological aftereffects. Bomb blasts, gunfire, and the constant threat of danger have left an estimated 15% of veterans with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a disorder that many people still stigmatize as a sign of weakness or something that veterans should just ignore or get over. However, an ...References1. Hoge CW, Castro CA, Messer SC, McGurk D, Cotting DI, Koffman RL. Combat duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, mental health problems, and barriers to care. N Engl J Med. 2004;351:13-22. [PMID: 15229303] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. Kessler RC, Sonnega A, Bromet E, Hughes M, Nelson CB. Posttraumatic stress disorder in the National Comorbidity Survey. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1995;52:1048-60. [PMID: 7492257] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. American Psychological Association Presidential Task Force on Military Deployment Services for Youth, Families and Service Members. The Psychological Needs of U.S. Military Service Members and Their Families: A Preliminary Report. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association; 2007. Accessed at www.apa.org/releases/MilitaryDeploymentTaskForceReport.pdf on 6 March 2007. Google Scholar4. Okie S. Reconstructing lives—a tale of two soldiers. N Engl J Med. 2006;355:2609-15. [PMID: 17182985] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. 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Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS). Boston: National Center for PTSD, Behavioral Science Division; 1990. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Jennifer Fisher WilsonDisclosures: None disclosed.E-mail:jenwilson@acponline.org. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byRecognizing risk and presence of posttraumatic stress disorder in womenPeculiarities of combination of the postviral fatigue syndrome and posttraumatic stress disorder (lecture)Predicting Support From an Intimate Partner After a Traumatic Injury1PTSD: How to recognize the many faces of this hidden disorderAn Overview of PTSD for the Adult Primary Care ProviderStress spectrum disorders in oncology 17 April 2007Volume 146, Issue 8Page: 617-620KeywordsArmed forcesDrug therapyDrugsMemoryPrimary carePsychiatry and mental healthRandomized trialsSelective serotonin reuptake inhibitorsTraumatic brain injuryVeteran care ePublished: 17 April 2007 Issue Published: 17 April 2007 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2007 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...