Younger veterans are 3 times more likely to have PTSD than older vets, study finds

As the nation prepares to commemorate Veterans Day on Tuesday a new scrutiny suggests the challenge of returning home after military institution is even harder for younger veterans Posttraumatic stress disorder disproportionately affects military veterans a new Yale survey shows younger vets are more than three times more likely to suffer from PTSD than their older counterparts During military training and organization members of the U S military are exposed to extreme stressors They re happening so fast that they don t have time to really absorb or even think about particular of those experiences commented Dr Farzaneh Sabi OB-GYN and associate health director at Kaiser Permanente in Gaithersburg Maryland A large number of times once an active-duty amenity member transitions to the civilian sector and either separates or retires from the military they have time to reflect on several of their experiences Sabi mentioned And those experiences may impact their life According to the evaluation younger veterans below age were three times more likely to screen positive for PTSD than veterans aged and above For younger veterans it may also be the impact of what they have gone through either through the pandemic or in this new virtual world where there s an increased level of social isolation loneliness avoidance and challenges with interpersonal connections and relationships Sabi commented With fewer in-person interactions young veterans may be at a disadvantage in figuring out how to address through specific of their past experiences For older adults several times we have learned how to cope with a few of these challenges and have revealed those connections whereas in younger adults they may not have the same connections and ability to cope with particular of the feelings that they re having Sabi reported What to know about PTSD and how to help Sabi explained posttraumatic stress disorder can affect different people at different times It can show up instantly after a stressful or traumatic event It can show up two or three months later and sometimes it can show up years or decades later she noted A traumatic experience can rear its head long after it happened Sometimes when the actual event occurs people deny it repress it don t think about it Sabi revealed And then when they are out of that stressful situation those memories come back the feelings come back and then they start to experience the features of PTSD Recovery is very practicable Sabi declared The initial step is for a veteran to begin making connections and understand the challenges for people who have experienced trauma Everyone is at a different level of where and when they want to talk about those traumatic events Sabi stated Loved ones can play an pivotal role in supporting a veteran s recovery First just listen create a safe space for someone to be able to share those experiences that they ve had and how they feel about those experiences Sabi revealed Without judgment without automatically jumping into giving advice just create a safe space for a connection to be created Supportive family and friends can help veterans during their healing from PTSD It s showing up with them at appointments offering to go with them or supporting them in getting the care that they need Source