Iraq veterans' rate of suicide studied

Iraq veterans' rate of suicide studied
By: Ariel Zirulnick, Staff Writer
Issue date: 11/7/07 Section: State & National

When UNC junior Seth Kandl returned from his one-year deployment in Afghanistan, his reintegration into civilian life was hampered by depression.

"The reality of it is that it does affect a lot more people than originally was shown," he said. "The army is now recognizing that fact and trying to rectify it."

A study released last week by Veterans Affairs and the University of Michigan - the first of its kind to address Iraq and Afghanistan veterans - found that VA efforts aimed at soldiers like Kandl could be having a positive effect on suicide rates among veterans.

Researchers speculated that was because of the extensive care options established by VA Post-

Traumatic Stress Disorder policy.

The study found, to researchers' surprise, that older veterans who had been diagnosed with both PTSD and depression faced a lower suicide risk. Authors speculated that it is because they're more likely to seek care through the VA PTSD programs.

Kandl said support from the VA has dramatically eased his depression, which he said was largely a result of living in constant threat of danger with no traditional support system and a total separation from U.S. society.

PTSD is a relatively new diagnosis that emerged in the wake of psychiatric treatment for Vietnam War veterans, said Dr. Bruce Capehart, medical director for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans at the Durham
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