 Every day, 22 veterans take their own lives. That's a suicide every 65
minutes. As shocking as the number is, it may actually be higher.
 The figure, released by the Department of Veterans Affairs in February, is
based on the agency's own data and numbers reported by 21 states from
1999 through 2011. Those states represent about 40% of the U.S.
population. The other states, including the two largest (California and
Texas) and the fifth-largest (Illinois), did not make data available.
 More than half of the 2.6 million Americans dispatched to fight the wars in
Iraq and Afghanistan struggle with physical or mental health problems
stemming from their service, feel disconnected from civilian life and
believe the government is failing to meet the needs of this generation’s
veterans, according to a poll conducted by The Washington Post and the
Kaiser Family Foundation.
 More than 600,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who have become
partially or totally disabled from physical or psychological wounds are
receiving lifelong financial support from the government, a figure that
could grow substantially as new ailments are diagnosed and the VA
processes a large claims backlog.
 More than eight in 10 vets served at least one tour in Iraq or in support of
that war. Of those deployed to Iraq, 47 percent were sent on two or more
deployments, and 29 percent — more than a half-million service members
— spent two years or more in the strife-torn country. By contrast, 29
percent of vets who deployed to Afghanistan had two or more tours, and
16 percent spent at least two years there.
 According to the Defense Department, more than 51,000 service
members have been “wounded in action” in Iraq, Afghanistan or in
missions to support the wars.
 One in three veterans surveyed by The Post and Kaiser said the VA or the
Defense Department has determined they have a service-connected
disability, a ratio that is almost identical to the VA’s overall tally. Most have
no scars.
 The poll found that the wars have caused mental and emotional health
problems in 31 percent of vets — more than 800,000 of them. When more
specific questions were asked, the rates increased: 41 percent — more
than 1 million — report having outbursts of anger, and 45 percent have
relationship problems with their spouse or partner. Both are indicators of
post-traumatic stress and could suggest that rates of affliction may be
higher than the government has forecast.
 Although The Post and Kaiser did not ask respondents the full battery of
questions typically used to make post-traumatic stress diagnoses,
previous studies conducted for the Pentagon, including one by the Rand
Corp. in 2008, have estimated rates of post-traumatic stress or major
depression at about 20 percent. Time may explain some of the difference:
Every service member experiences the stress of war differently, and some
do not feel it for years.
 In a recent VA survey of 1,500 women who deployed to Iraq and
Afghanistan, one in four said they experienced sexual assault — defined
as any unwanted contact from groping to rape — during their
deployments.
Summary of Veterans Statistics for PTSD, TBI, Depression and Suicide.
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There are over 2.3 million American veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars
(compared to 2.6 million Vietnam veterans who fought in Vietnam; there are 8.2
million "Vietnam Era Veterans" (personnel who served anywhere during any time
of the Vietnam War)
At least 20% of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have PTSD and/or Depression.
(Military counselors I have interviewed state that, in their opinion, the percentage
of veterans with PTSD is much higher; the number climbs higher when combined
with TBI.) Other accepted studies have found a PTSD prevalence of 14%; see
a complete review of PTSD prevalence studies, which quotes studies with
findings ranging from 4 -17% of Iraq War veterans with post-traumatic stress
disorder)
50% of those with PTSD do not seek treatment
Out of the half that seek treatment, only half of them get "minimally adequate"
treatment (RAND study)
19% of veterans may have traumatic brain injury (TBI)
Over 260,000 veterans from OIF and OEF so far have been diagnosed with TBI.
Traumatic brain injury is much more common in the general population
than previously thought: according to the CDC, over 1,700,000 Americans have a
traumatic brain injury each year; in Canada 20% of teens had TBI resulting in
hospital admission or that involved over 5 minutes of unconsciousness (VA
surgeon reporting in BBC News)
7% of veterans have both post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain
injury
Rates of post-traumatic stress are greater for these wars than prior conflicts
In times of peace, in any given year, about 4% (actually 3.6%) of the general
population have PTSD (caused by natural disasters, car accidents, abuse, etc.)
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Recent statistical studies show that rates of veteran suicide are much higher than
previously thought (see suicide prevention page).
PTSD distribution between services for OND, OIF, and OEF: Army 67% of cases,
Air Force 9%, Navy 11%, and Marines 13%. (Congressional Research Service,
Sept. 2010)
Recent sample of 600 veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan found: 14% posttraumatic stress disorder; 39% alcohol abuse; 3% drug abuse. Major depression
also a problem. "Mental and Physical Health Status and Alcohol and Drug Use
Following Return From Deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan." Susan V. Eisen, PhD
Oddly, statistics for veteran tobacco use are never reported alongside PTSD
statistics, even though increases in rates of smoking are strongly correlated with
the stress of deployment and combat, and smoking statistics show that tobacco
use is tremendously damaging and costly for soldiers.
More active duty personnel die by own hand than combat in 2012 (New York
Times)