Women in combat and the risk of post-traumatic stress disorder and Essay

Women in combat and the risk of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression - Essay Example Women hold important positions in the armed forces including military police, intelligence, as pilots, as physicians, as physiotherapist, for transportation, as mechanics, civil affairs etc. It is really pitiful that their efforts are undermined and are always treated as less victimized when compared with their male counterparts. They perform small but imperative jobs and their contribution cannot be diluted. Even though women are expelled from allocating in straight combat specialties encompassing infantry or armor, but they do endow with varied support as travelling outside military base, working with the combat soldiers, exposure to fire or victimized under any casualty (Hoge, 2007). Research findings reveal that there exist a gender difference if veterans are screened for depression, PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), pain, obesity etc (Haskell, 2010). Screening of veterans have been performed and it was instituted the prevalence of MST and depression amongst the female veter ans. Results disclose that almost 14% of the female veterans were positive for MST while half of the females (48%) were found to be the sufferers of severe depression, indicating that females are at double risk of depression irrespective of cultural or racial milieu or financial standing.