Two weeks ago, Kimerling et al (2008a) announced that 14.5% of veterans discharged from the U.S. campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan reported some kind of military sexual trauma (MST). Women were far more likely than men to report MST (14.5% vs 0.6%), but "the relationship between MST and specific mental health conditions did not differ by gender with the exception of PTSD [Posttraumatic Stress Disorder], where women who had experienced MST were significantly more likely to have PTSD than men who experienced MST."
Kimerling's data comes from a recently adopted PTSD screening regimen in place at VA hospitals. As recently as 2001, 33-50% of VA primary care physicians did not routine screen veterans for PTSD (Young et al, 2005). Screening does seem improve rates of treatment. In an evaluation of the universal PTSD screening protocols, Kimerling et al (2008b) reported that universal screening increased access to care.
Something that bothers me: the news stories about this -- such as Reuters (2008) -- cited Kimerling as saying that her study (2008a) "did not determine when [the sexual trauma] happened". In most studies of sexual trauma, this would also capture childhood sexual trauma -- but Kimerling seems to be studying "military sexual trauma", which seems to be specifically trauma that occurs during service. If these screenings included all sexual trauma, 14.5% would be a lower rate than the general population of women. I have to wonder if the environment at the VA makes women (and men) less likely to report sexual trauma than they would be in the general population, or if the screening really is specific to trauma within service. Or, possibly, that women in the military do suffer lower rates of sexual harrassment and assault (the screening looks for both) than women in the general population.
Note: Two years ago, for Veteran's Day, I noted that "at least five" countries conscripted women for military service (11/10/06). That number should have been "at least ten", according to updates to the Wikipedia "Conscription" page.
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4 comments:
lovecraftienne
2008-11-11 03:45 pm UTC
No *WAY* do women in the Forces get less harrassment.
NO. WAY.
This is, I would bet anything you like, under-reporting in action, because not a few military women who've made sexual assault complaints have ended up in bad disciplinary situations when their superiors give them shit for rocking the boat.
[info]dan4th
2008-11-11 04:53 pm UTC
Yeah, I wrote that paragraph 3 times before I realized that was even an option, but in the interest of "fair and balanced" reporting, I wanted to admit that it was one way that the stats could be interpreted.
I didn't think it was likely, though.
Something just occurred to me: none of the women reported in Kimerling's study were still active. All the men and women in the VA system are retired from military service (at least, according to one of the articles linked above). How much influence would the military chain-of-command still have on them?
lovecraftienne
2008-11-11 07:52 pm UTC (link)
Ha! Sorry, not at you, but at the idea of being beyond reach. Ask [info]ginmar. She's pretty open about her experiences as a vet.
Ask any vet fighting tooth and nail for the benefits they were promised. :/
Both women and men suffer when they are hurt this way. Making the complaint is not so easy for men! But there is help for both at the Life Beyond Trauma Conference to be held Oct. 2-4th in Dallas at the Dallas Convention Center. We are giving a way a portion of the registrations to Afghan/Iraq vets. Check it out at the website.
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