Kay Shepherd for ePluribus Media interviews Ilona Meagher, who with others in the ePluribus Media community – JimStaro, D.E. Ford, and Commander Jeff Huber – has been focusing on the PTSD issues facing veterans and our returning troops.
In her interview, Ilona Meagher focuses on why she began researching incidents of violence related to PTSD and how she’s determined to make sure the American public stays aware of the difficulties our veterans face in getting the care they need.
Shepherd begins the interview with some sobering facts:
Our topic today is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Not a new phenomenon, certainly. It’s been known as shell shock, combat fatigue, any number of other names, but the facts and figures coming out of the Iraq war are fairly startling to say the least. One in six soldiers returning from Iraq is suffering from PTSD according to a 2003 study published by the New England Journal of Medicine. A Defense Department study says that six in ten of these same veterans are unlikely to seek help due to the extreme social stigma attached to this disorder.
During the interview, Ms. Meagher discusses the resources available to our returning troops as well as hers and others ongoing efforts to shed light on the need to not politicize the veterans need for care.
Listen to the podcast or read the transcript at Podcast Interview with PTSD Researcher ilona — 4/13/2006
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