RESEARCH
About one in five military personnel are expected to develop PTSD from combat duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. In order to prepare for their needs – and prevent problems for them and their loved ones – we must continue to build upon PTSD research that has been conducted over the past 30 years.
The San Francisco VA PTSD Research Program aims to make a difference in the lives of people with PTSD. By studying behavioral therapies, medications, genetics, sleep patterns, physical reactions to trauma reminders, brain images, brain chemistry and hormones, and difficulties in attention, concentration, and memory, our researchers are learning how to diagnose and treat PTSD more quickly and effectively.
Over the years, military personnel have collaborated with civilian researchers to increase awareness and understanding of PTSD. The contributions of Vietnam veterans have been especially important. Without their generous gifts of time, effort, and painful honesty -- often given under the strain of PTSD – many of today's warfighters and survivors of motor vehicle accidents, physical and sexual assault, and other traumas would not be receiving the kind of care they get today.
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