PTSD hits one out of three contractors in war zones

Large incomes, Workers' Compensation, Health Insurance and PTSD. Think about that for a second.

They are not members of the military but they are contractors. They report rates of PTSD at one out of three.

Hmm, doesn't that sound familiar? That is because up until these recent wars, that was the percentage used by most experts when trying to explain how many get hit by PTSD.

They worry about their jobs, so only 16% have actually filed Comp Claims. It isn't that they don't have PTSD issues but more about losing their jobs.

That sounds familiar too. It does because that is what is going on with our troops and veterans.

PTSD hits civilians serving on war fronts, study finds
USA TODAY
Gregg Zoroya
December 10, 2013

Rates of mental illness among an international force of civilian contractors hired to work in Iraq or Afghanistan rivaled those among service members, a report says.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Nearly one in three U.S. contractors show signs of PTSD after working in Iraq, Afghanistan
Most have health insurance, but few make use of it to combat stress
Working in a war zone not just stressful for troops, RAND report finds

Rates of mental illness among an international force of civilian contractors hired to work in Iraq or Afghanistan rivaled those among servicemembers, with one in four civilians showing signs of post-traumatic stress disorder, according to a RAND Corp. study released today.

The prevalence of PTSD was even higher among American contractors. Nearly one in three showed signs of the disorder, researchers found in an online survey of 660 civilians working in war zones between early 2011 and early 2013.

"These findings highlight a significant but often overlooked group of people struggling with the after-effects of working in a war zone," said Molly Dunigan, co-author of the study and a political scientist with RAND.

Researchers said it is unclear how many contractors have served in war zones, but they often outnumber the troops deployed.

"Many simply avoided doing so out of concern that it would affect their employment, according to the study. Only about 16% of contractors surveyed said they filed workers' compensation claims."
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