Brookhaven Hospital: Mental Health Treatment for Behavioral Health Problems, Chemical Dependency, Eating Disorders, Brain Injuries, and Renewal Christian Treatment and Recovery

Friday, March 16, 2007 11:58 AM
posted by Aric Thorpe

Veterans of Middle East Conflict bring back Mental Health Disorders

A recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine revealed some intriguing information about the mental health of war veterans. The study found that approximately one quarter of all veterans of the Afghan and Iraq conflicts that were treated at VA hospitals had developed mental health problems. Additionally, almost half of the vets with mental health disorders were diagnosed to have two or more total MH disorders. Among the mental health disorders found in the vets studied, PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) was the most common. 52% of patients in the study diagnosed with a mental health disorder were found to have PTSD. Researchers found that vets most susceptible to PTSD were between the ages of 18 to 24. The following is an excerpt of an article from Med Page Today that reviews the study:

A quarter of all veterans treated at VA hospitals after returning home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan brought mental health problems back with them, reported investigators here.

When psychosocial and behavioral problems were thrown into the mix, nearly a third of all veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq who sought care at VA facility had a diagnosis of a mental-health-related disorder, reported Karen H. Seal, M.D., M.P.H., from the University of California San Francisco, and the San Francisco VA, and colleagues.

Click here to read the rest of the Med Page Today article.

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Rolf B. Gainer, Ph.D., Diplomate ABDA, is the Chief Executive Office at Brookhaven Hospital and the Vice President of Rehabilitation Institutes of America. Dr. Gainer has been involved in the design and operation of treatment programs since 1977.

Stephen Harnish, MD is the Medical Director of Brookhaven Hospital. Dr. Harnish is a member of the American Psychiatric Association and is well known in Oklahoma for his informative radio and television appearances.

Aric Thorpe, MHR, is Brookhaven Hospital's Pastoral Liaison Representative. He conducts the quarterly Minister's Lifeline series and provides mental health information to pastors and clergy.

Sarah McGee serves as the Community Education Provider for Brookhaven Hospital. She provides information on mental health and drug and alcohol treatment to healthcare professionals in Oklahoma and surrounding states.

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