1 soldier in 9 exits Army for mental disorder

[unhappycamper]

1 soldier in 9 exits Army for mental disorder
By Gregg Zoroya - USA Today
Posted : Thursday Jul 22, 2010 22:05:31 EDT

The number of soldiers forced to leave the Army solely because of a mental disorder has increased by 64 percent from 2005 to 2009 and accounts for one in nine medical discharges, according to Army statistics.

Last year, 1,224 soldiers with a mental illness, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, received a medical discharge. That was an increase from 745 soldiers in 2005 or about 7 percent of medical discharges that year, according to personnel statistics provided to USA Today.

The trend matches other recent indicators that show a growing emotional toll on a military that has been fighting for seven years in Iraq and nine years in Afghanistan, the Army and veterans advocates say.

“These numbers really just validate the mental health communities’ concern about multiple deployments,” says Adrian Atizado, who specializes in health issues as assistant national legislative director for Disabled American Veterans. “Mind and body are both taking a beating.”

Soldiers discharged for having both a mental and a physical disability increased 174 percent during the past five years from 1,397 in 2005 to 3,831 in 2009, according to the statistics.

[pinboy3niner]

1. Bad news headline

It should have read, "1 in 9 MEDICAL exits of soldiers...." That's what the story reports, and it is significant. Bad head writer in this case, though.

Since it's GD, perhaps Unhappy can edit the subject.

[unhappycamper]

2. I was going to correct it when I posted but then said 'fuck it'.

If the Army Times didn't edit it, why should I? :shrug:

[pinboy3niner]

3. It's a good idea to correct a mistake when you spot it

Nothing you can do in LBN, but you can do it in GD.

I appreciate all the news you bring here, and the work involved in doing that. But in the uncommon instance when the head misrepresents the story, I think it's worth correcting it.