Dealing with invisible scars of war: PTSD in Veterans
Scholarly review . September 15, 2023 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.70121/001c.121768 via OpenAlex
Summary
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) remains a significant issue for veterans, with many existing treatments lacking effectiveness. Certain prevention methods can target high-risk groups based on deployment and demographic factors. While traditional therapies have shown symptom reduction, they are ineffective for some individuals. Alternative treatments like psychedelics and breathing-based sessions have also reduced PTSD symptoms but are generally less effective than standard therapies. More research is needed to explore these alternative options.
Study at a glance
| Population | veterans |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Traditional PTSD treatments are often ineffective for many veterans, prompting interest in alternative therapies that may help reduce symptoms. |
Abstract
The long-term effects of war are extremely present in modern society. However, mental injuries such as posttraumatic stress disorder are commonly overlooked, as they are more obscure than physical wounds and casualties. Today, PTSD continues to affect veterans, and many treatments that have been developed so far are still lacking in effectiveness or have not been thoroughly tested. Prevention treatments can target groups that match characteristics such as deployment details and demographics of those who are most likely to develop PTSD. These can include both demographics and details about deployment. HRVB and CBM-I have been able to decrease PTSD scores in certain populations. Social support, specifically from civilians, is also crucial in protecting veterans from developing PTSD or worsening the severity of PTSD symptoms. Various first-line treatments such as evidence-based psychotherapies and pharmacotherapies show significant lowering in symptoms as well as PTSD remission rates, but these treatments are still ineffective for many patients, whether this is because of personal preference or a general lack of efficacy of therapies. The use of psychedelics and psychedelic–assisted psychotherapy, alcohol interventions, breathing-based meditative sessions, and potentially 3-MDR have shown a decrease in PTSD symptoms for those who preferred not to use first-line treatments or found them to be ineffective. More research should be done to find and assess the current alternative treatments. They have generally proven to be less effective than other, common evidence-based treatments, but are still possible replacements for traditional treatments for some veterans with PTSD.