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August 19, 2007Depression May Play a Bigger Role in Readjustment for Troubled Vets |
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From EurekAlert! - Breaking News: Depression may be an unrecognized readjustment problem for recently returning veterans of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to a study released today at the American Psychological Association 115th Annual Convention. Researchers working with veterans referred for psychiatric evaluation from a primary care service found that major or minor depression was associated with domestic abuse and other family problems. Two-thirds of the married/cohabiting veterans reported some type of family readjustment problem or conflict occurring several times a week: 42 percent felt like a guest in their household, 21.8 percent reported their children were not acting warmly or were afraid of them, and 35.7 percent were unsure about their role in regular household responsibilities. The presence of family problems may limit the effectiveness of treatments for depression or PTSD because of the importance of positive family relationships to veterans' recovery. According to the researchers, the results suggest an opportunity to improve treatment for returning veterans by involving family in the veteran's recovery. In addition, about 56 percent of the patients with current or recently separated partners reported severe conflicts involving "shouting, pushing or shoving," and 35 percent reported that this partner was afraid of them. The researchers, led by Steven L. Sayers, PhD, of the Philadelphia VA Medical Center, noted that while there has been very little empirical research focused on the family problems of veterans in the first year or two following their return from a major military conflict, family problems among those with partners are common. The American Psychological Association (APA), in Washington, DC, is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States and is the world's largest association of psychologists.
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