Predeployment mental health screening of soldiers reduces combat stress
Wednesday, January 19, 2011 - 10:30
in Health & Medicine
A new study shows that psychiatric or behavioral problems among military personnel serving in Iraq were reduced 78 percent in Army brigades systematically screened for mental health conditions before deployment. Suicidal thoughts and behaviors were halved, and combat stress reactions were lowered by 29 percent. The study was published on the website of AJP in Advance, the online advance edition of The American Journal of Psychiatry (AJP), the official journal of the American Psychiatric Association.