Health Affairs September 28, 2021
The precipitous withdrawal of the US from Afghanistan and the Taliban takeover of that country have inflicted a devastating emotional blow on many veterans of the Afghan war. After having suffered physical and invisible injuries resulting from war wounds, the loss of combat buddies, and the inadvertent deaths of civilians, many now wonder whether their sacrifices meant anything.
This suffering adds to the behavioral health issues that many veterans have experienced since returning from the Afghan and Iraq wars. About half a million veterans suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including veterans of previous conflicts. On average, 20 veterans take their own lives each day, and studies have found a correlation between PTSD and suicide among veterans.
The Department...