Military personnel who have a psychiatric disorder prior to deployment or who've been injured during combat are more likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after they return home.

Deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan significantly affects the quality and quantity of sleep of many U.S. military personnel, new research indicates.

DoD medical researchers have found that service members who suffered multiple combat exposures during a deployment, and especially those who had witnessed death as a result of war, were much more likely to report hypertension (chronic high blood pressure) compared to those who had not seen combat.

The 2023 Military Health System Research Symposium recognized innovative researchers focused on enhancing warfighter health. Dr. Lester Martinez-Lopez, the Department of Defense's assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, presented the awards to the winning individuals and teams. Dr. Rudy P. Rull and the Millennium Cohort Program team were recognized as the premier longitudinal research program of warfighter, veteran, and military family health and wellbeing. Sponsored by both the DOD and the Department of Veterans Affairs, the program is an active collaborative effort between researchers from the Naval Health Research Center, the Veterans Health Administration, and multiple military, academic, and nongovernmental research organizations.

According to the Millennium Cohort Study soldiers who are deployed and exposed to combat, "are at increased risk of new-onset heavy weekly drinking, binge drinking, and other alcohol-related problems."

This study provides evidence of the negative consequences of sexual trauma to US military women, including decrements in functionality in the workplace and potentially on military readiness. Given the increasing roles and responsibilities of women with the military, prevention and mitigation against sexual trauma should remain a high priority. These data support the urgent need for effective strategies to prevent sexual trauma and provide important information for developing programs to assist women who have experience sexual trauma.

New research shows nearly a quarter of vets suffer from the ringing in the ears.

Getting a good night's sleep is much more difficult for military personnel who deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, according to a new study of sleep patterns in the military. The scientific research confirms what plenty of soldiers, Marines and other members of the U.S. military have already experienced firsthand.

Stimulant medications used to treat attention deficit problems and keep service members alert during long stretches of combat might increase vulnerability to post-traumatic stress disorder.

A new study found that military service members who reported insomnia symptoms or short sleep durations were less resilient than members who reported healthy sleep hygiene. Several physical and mental variables were evaluated as indices of resilience. These variables were, self-rated general health, lost workdays, deployment, completion of service term, and health care utilization.