Military Review English Edition November December 2016 | Page 95

DOG THERAPY

lives lost to suicide.9 The study found an average cost
of $5,900 for a PTSD-only case, and $12,400 for cases
with co-morbidities.10 When the cost of cases were
combined, the estimated total annual cost to the military alone was $2.2 billion. The study further estimated
that if 100 percent of affected individuals were offered
treatment and they follow through with it, 19 percent
of these costs could be saved.
The above cost figures apply only to active-duty
service members, but the study estimated that the incidence of PTSD was one-and-a-half times higher among
veterans than among active duty personnel, suggesting
that the total cost to the taxpayers of treating veterans with PTSD may be about $3 billion.11 The RAND
study did not consider costs associated with transitions
to civilian life common to service members with PTSD,
including monetary costs associated with violence.12
Furthermore, the current treatments do not offer
reliable cures. As a result, relapses are a constant risk.
Depending on the type of treatment, relapses occur
MILITARY REVIEW  November-December 2016

Pfc. Alex Fanning, 98th Medical Detachment Combat Stress Control (CSC) behavioral health specialist, and Maj. Eden, a 98th Medical Detachment CSC combat stress dog, visit service members
21 January 2014 at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan. (Photo by Senior
Airman Kayla Newman, U.S. Air Force)

in 61–70 percent of the cases, implying that the total
societal costs are likely to continue to grow as the base
of veterans with PTSD increases.13

Current Treatment Approaches
The main treatment options for PTSD are psychological and pharmacological. For psychological therapies, the single most effective is behavior therapy. It is
more effective than the
most effective pharRebecca Segal is a camacological approach,
det in Army ROTC and
although these treatis studying neuroscience
ments are often used in
at Amherst College in
14
combination.
Amherst, Massachusetts.
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