Military sexual trauma

August 25, 2010

A VA study looked at the records of 125,729 Veterans who received VA primary care or mental health services between 2001 and 2007 and found that 15 percent of women and .7 percent of men reported military sexual trauma. Both women and men who screened positive for military sexual trauma were more likely to be diagnosed with a mental health condition. The authors say military sexual trauma tends to be under-reported, so the rates they found in the study may not reflect the full extent of the problem. At the same time, they emphasize that the study included only Veterans who have enrolled in VA health care, and the findings may not apply to the military in general. VA screens all new patients for military sexual trauma— among other issues—and provides free care for all related conditions. (American Journal of Public Health, August 2010)

This article originally appeared in the September 2010 issue of VA Research Currents.