Q&A With Col. Elspeth Cameron Ritchie: Treating Psychological Issues In Veterans Includes Wide Variety of Conditions

A lot has been learned about the impact of serving in battle and on deployment of service members through time. As a result of these efforts work has been done to find solutions to help these patients address any psychological conditions they may develop including post traumatic stress disorder.

Retired Army Col. Elspeth Cameron Ritchie, MD, MPH discussed some of the progress made in this area during the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association in Toronto.

With veterans ranging in terms of service from World War II to the War on Terror there are a variety of psychological conditions that doctors may encounter with their patients. How they approach these conditions can determine the quality of life these patients have in the future.

For soldiers who have been wounded while serving in Iraq or Afghanistan one issue they face more often that other veterans in the past is the damage that can be done by blast injuries. This can be especially true in the area of sexual health.

While many veterans receive their health care through the Department of Veterans Affairs, there is also a large number who turn to their local civilian doctors for treatment. This can include issues ranging from physical to psychological and sexual health.