The-Marathon-Field

 Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a major health issue for over ten years. In the last few years, we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans seeking help for PTSD.1 This has put a spotlight on the debilitating condition, and raising critical concerns about the appropriate treatment options and barriers to care.While PTSD extends far beyond the military--affecting about eight million American adult patients in any given year2--the problem is especially acute among war veterans. Not only are recent veterans at higher risk of suffering from PTSD than those in the general population,3 they also face unique barriers to receiving the right treatment.4 This includes the requirement that they have either an honorable or general discharge to gain access to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical benefits, long wait lists in VA medical centers, and the social stigma associated with mental illness in the military communities.4,5 According to a research conducted by the RAND Center for Military Health Policy Research, less than half of the returning veterans seeking mental health care receive any form of treatment as well as, of those who receive treatment for PTSD and major depression, less than one-third receive evidence-based care.5