Characteristics of Deployed Operation Iraqi Freedom Military Personnel Who Seek Mental Health Care

Service members who presented to the U.S. Military Hospital Kuwait for an initial appointment participated in a study on the feasibility of using validated mental health screening instruments for deployed Operation Iraqi Freedom military personnel. The screening measures corresponded somewhat well to psychiatric diagnoses made by clinicians, except for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use where the screeners estimated much higher rates of these issues compared to clinicians.