VOA常速英语2007年-More US Troops Returning with Post Combat Stres

By Melinda Smith
Washington
14 November 2007
 

There are an estimated 150,000 U.S. troops in Iraq, and approximately 25,000 in Afghanistan. Like soldiers in other wars before them, a significant number of those returning home are bringing back emotional scars from combat. VOA's Melinda Smith has more on what is being done to identify those who suffer from depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress.

The welcome home for many U.S. troops could  be any warmer. They are back in the arms of their loved ones, and the fear and anxiety experienced during combat seems distant -- at least temporarily.

But a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that problems are showing up three to six months after coming home. Dr. Charles Milliken and his colleagues at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in Washington, D.C. conducted the study.

Dr. Milliken explains, "Things happen fast over in the combat theater. It's only after a soldier's been home for some time and has time to think about what he's been through, that some of those problems start to become something that weighs on his mind."

Tom Williams is retired¹ from the U.S. military. He was in the medical corps² in Iraq and Afghanistan. He says, "I spent the first six months I was back, looking at the ground to make sure I didn't get my legs blown off."

U.S. troops returning from deployment³ in Iraq and Afghanistan routinely undergo a health checkup that includes a look at possible emotional and psychological issues.

Army researchers have studied the effectiveness of the initial assessment⁴, as well as the additional screening and mental health training done a few months later.  Dr. Milliken says this study helps identify a larger population of soldiers. "For the next 30 days following the screen a number of soldiers enter the mental health system. So something about the screening and training is actually encouraging soldiers to go get care."

The screening involves answering a series of standard questions relating to mental health stress and meeting with medical personnel. Then, soldiers participate in something called Battlemind training.

"Battlemind training helps soldiers understand what are some common problems that lots of folks experience after being in combat for a year. It helps give them ideas about what they can do about these problems," Dr. Milliken said.

Dr. Milliken and veteran Tom Williams both say the second screening is a valuable incentive⁵ for soldiers to seek help. "We know soldiers tend to have stigma⁶ about going in to get mental health care, so something about the screening-training process is countering that stigma and making it more okay for them to get care," Dr. Milliken said.

Williams adds, "It takes time for reactions to start and it takes time for you to recognize that there's something wrong -- that your behaviors are not just affecting you, they're affecting someone you probably love or care for."

When Army researchers looked at results of the second screening, they decided⁷ to focus only on soldiers returning from Iraq because they had had consistently higher rates of combat exposure. At least 88,000 soldiers from that group had completed both screenings.

Courtesy - Journal of the American Medical Association

1 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

2 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

3 deployment   

n. 部署,展开

参考例句：

• He has inquired out the deployment of the enemy troops. 他已查出敌军的兵力部署情况。
• Quality function deployment (QFD) is a widely used customer-driven quality, design and manufacturing management tool. 质量功能展开(quality function deployment,QFD)是一个广泛应用的顾客需求驱动的设计、制造和质量管理工具。

4 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

5 incentive   

n.刺激；动力；鼓励；诱因；动机

参考例句：

• Money is still a major incentive in most occupations.在许多职业中，钱仍是主要的鼓励因素。
• He hasn't much incentive to work hard.他没有努力工作的动机。

6 stigma   

n.耻辱，污名；(花的)柱头

参考例句：

• Being an unmarried mother used to carry a social stigma.做未婚母亲在社会上曾是不光彩的事。
• The stigma of losing weighed heavily on the team.失败的耻辱让整个队伍压力沉重。

7 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。