LA Times: "Sexual abuse rates of deployed female soldiers detailed in study"

October 29, 2008 |
Valor

Yesterday, the LA Times reported that “one in seven female soldiers who were deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan and later sought healthcare for any reason reported being sexually harassed or assaulted during their military service, according to a study by Veterans Affairs researchers.” The study indicated that 0.7% of male soldiers reported similar experiences.

Women who reported harassment or assault were 2.3 times as likely to suffer post-traumatic stress disorder as those who did not, and were also more likely to suffer from depression or engage in substance abuse. Men who reported harassment or assault were 1.5 times more likely to suffer PTSD or other disorders.

Clinical psychologist Amy Street of the National Center for PTSD at the Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, indicated that “these are the first data specifically coming from veterans deployed in those operations, which makes them novel.”
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