BioQuakes

AP Biology class blog for discussing current research in Biology

Predetermined diagnosis of PTSD and Depression can lead to prevention of psychological disorders

According to Science Dailyquestions that tests the psychological attributes that deal with coping ability, adaptability, and optimism. The questions are used to identify high-risk individuals and provide them with psychological and social resources to help them cope with the troubles dealing with deployment.

Researchers created an individual score that composites the soldier’s risk using baseline psychological attributes and demographic information such as martial status, gender, race, education and military occupation group.They found out of those whose score classified them as being at highest risk for psychological health disorders , which is at the top 5% of the score, 31% screened positive for depression, while 27% screened positive for PTSD after return from deployment.

 Professor Yu-Chu Shen, lead author of the study said: “We found that soldiers who had the worst pre-military psychological health attribute scores — those in the bottom 5% of scores — carried much higher odds of screening positive for depression and PTSD after returning home than the top 95%. Soldiers who score worst before deployment might be more susceptible to developing debilitating mental health disorders when they are later exposed to combat environments.”

The results suggest that psychological screening before deployment can be helpful in identifying the individuals who carry significant risk for psychological health disorders. Being aware of this risk could enable interventions to improve soldiers’ psychological health prior to exposing them to combat.

 

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1 Comment

  1. ekauli

    This is a really interesting topic, and maybe a potential answer to dealing with PTSD an depression for veterans. Personally, I think it’s really sad to see those who put their lives o the lines to protect others come back home after service physiologically broken men and women. Perhaps adding passing mental tests discussed in the post to the prerequisites (as opposed to just physical ones) for joining the military would reduce the amount of future veterans suffering from PTSD. If a candidate draws too many red flags, bar them from high-stress environments, regardless of his or her wishes (sounds harsh but it is for their own good). Tests could include testing for vulnerability to stress and traumatic experiences, which the following article talks about in terms of the biology of it.
    http://www.dana.org/News/Details.aspx?id=43105

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