A report released by the Department of Veterans Affairs indicates that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has had the largest marked increase in regards mental health problems among veterans. And, as CNN reports, the disorder is especially evident among female veterans.
As more women are enlisting in combat, the instances of PTSD among female veterans have risen substantially over the years. According to the VA, in the past 30 years, the percentage of women with PTSD has doubled. In 2009, there were 350,000 women serving in the military; more women serving has led to more cases of PTSD. Natara Garovoy, program director of the Women’s Prevention, Outreach & Education Center at VA Palo Alto Health Care System told CNN that recent studies have shown that the percentage of female veterans with PTSD is now at 20 percent, which is equal to that of male veterans.
“Women are exposed to combat now more than ever before, and they’re proving to be just as resilient to those exposures as men,” Garovoy said.
Heather Rudow is a staff writer for Counseling Today. Email her at hrudow@counseling.org.