Dealing with invisible scars of war: PTSD in Veterans

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) remains a persistent mental injury among veterans, often overlooked compared to physical wounds. Prevention treatments target those most at risk based on deployment details and demographics. Heart rate variability biofeedback (HRVB) and cognitive bias modification for interpretation (CBM-I) have decreased PTSD scores in certain populations. Social support from civilians is crucial for protecting veterans from developing or worsening PTSD. First-line evidence-based psychotherapies and pharmacotherapies show significant symptom reduction and remission rates, yet remain ineffective for many patients due to personal preference or lack of efficacy. Alternative treatments—psychedelics and psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, alcohol interventions, breathing-based meditative sessions, and potentially 3-MDR—have shown symptom decreases for those who found first-line treatments ineffective or undesirable, though generally less effective than standard therapies. More research is needed.

Study at a glance

Abstract

The long-term effects of war are extremely present in modern society. However, mental injuries such as posttraumatic stress disorder are commonly overlooked, as they are more obscure than physical wounds and casualties. Today, PTSD continues to affect veterans, and many treatments that have been developed so far are still lacking in effectiveness or have not been thoroughly tested. Prevention treatments can target groups that match characteristics such as deployment details and demographics of those who are most likely to develop PTSD. These can include both demographics and details about deployment. HRVB and CBM-I have been able to decrease PTSD scores in certain populations. Social support, specifically from civilians, is also crucial in protecting veterans from developing PTSD or worsening the severity of PTSD symptoms. Various first-line treatments such as evidence-based psychotherapies and pharmacotherapies show significant lowering in symptoms as well as PTSD remission rates, but these treatments are still ineffective for many patients, whether this is because of personal preference or a general lack of efficacy of therapies. The use of psychedelics and psychedelic–assisted psychotherapy, alcohol interventions, breathing-based meditative sessions, and potentially 3-MDR have shown a decrease in PTSD symptoms for those who preferred not to use first-line treatments or found them to be ineffective. More research should be done to find and assess the current alternative treatments. They have generally proven to be less effective than other, common evidence-based treatments, but are still possible replacements for traditional treatments for some veterans with PTSD.