PTSD cases soar in combat veterans

WASHINGTON, May 28 (UPI) -- At least 30 percent of all U.S. combat troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, Pentagon officials said.

Pentagon records released Tuesday show the number of U.S. troops diagnosed with PTSD is up 50 percent to nearly 40,000 in 2007 compared to 2006. The increased diagnosis is in part due to increased deployment lengths and repeated combat tours but is also due to better medical record keeping, The Washington Post said Wednesday.

Military officials said the total number reported may be only a fraction of the total PTSD cases because of the shame some soldiers feel with reporting symptoms. PTSD sufferers experience feelings of dread and emotional numbness.

"We're in our infancy right now of fully knowing what the extent of this is," Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Eric Schoomaker told the Post.

The military is faced with a lack of trained medical personnel to deal with the increased number of troops with PTSD, but Schoomaker said the Army plans to hire more specialists to deal with the issue.