253318 Temporal Trends in the Epidemiology of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Related Dsability in the US Army: 2005-2010

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Elizabeth Packnett, MPH , Division of Preventive Medicine, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD
Marlene Gubata, MD, MPH , Division of Preventive Medicine, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD
Caitlin Blandford, MPH , Division of Preventive Medicine, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD
David N. Cowan, PhD, MPH , Division of Preventive Medicine, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD
David Niebuhr, MD, MPH, MS , Division of Preventive Medicine, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD
Background: The incidence and prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the US military have increased in recent years as a result of ongoing combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Recent changes in PTSD-related disability policy in the military are expected to change the population of service members evaluated for PTSD. However, little research is available describing recent trends in the epidemiology of disability discharges for PTSD. Methods: Disability evaluations for PTSD-related disability among Army personnel that began between FY 2005 and FY 2010 were included in this analysis (n=8,615). Data on unfitting conditions, rating, and disposition were obtained from the US Army Physical Disability Agency. Rates were calculated per 10,000 service members, using aggregate service population data from the Defense Manpower Data Center, and were stratified by year to describe temporal trends. Results: Rates of PTSD disability increased substantially in the US Army from 2005 to 2010. In 2010 the rate of PTSD disability was more than four times the rate in 2005. Increases in disability rating of PTSD have also been observed. In 2010 95% of PTSD disability was rated higher than 30% and medically retired, as compared to 2005 when 9% of PTSD disability was rated higher than 30%. Discussion: Increasing rates of PTSD disability in the Army accompanied by increasing ratings indicate changes in PTSD disability during the period from 2005 to 2010. Further research is necessary to determine the association of changes in combat exposures, risk factors, comorbidity, and disability policy with PTSD disability.

Learning Areas:
Epidemiology
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
1.Describe temporal trends in disability evaluation for post-traumatic stress disorder in the US Army including the variance in the proportion of combat related and the proportion of medically retired cases over time. 2.Identifiy other unfitting conditions associated with post-traumatic stress disorder and the degree to which these conditions have changed over time.

Keywords: Disability, Veterans' Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am qualified to present because I supervise military disability evaluation systems research, included, but not limited to, the analyses presented here.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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