<

Stress From Afghanistan Duty Examined
Friday, August 30, 2002
The Associated Press

The Army is also looking into the possible side effects of anti-malaria medication taken by troops in Afghanistan as a possible contributing factor.

BAGRAM, Afghanistan -- AP
The U.S. military is paying closer attention to the mental health of American troops in Afghanistan after three soldiers allegedly killed their wives at Fort Bragg after returning from combat duty.

Commanders are being encouraged to be more watchful for symptoms of distress such as depression and anxiety. And for the first time, soldiers are being screened for psychological problems before they go home.

''We're deeply concerned . . . and are moving ahead to try to screen people better who are going home and provide them with the services they need once they get there,'' said Col. Thomas Hicklin, chief of the unit in Afghanistan that deals with stress disorders among troops.

Concern over the mental health of soldiers fighting the war against terrorism rose after the wives of three soldiers who had served in Afghanistan were killed this summer at Fort Bragg, N.C. -- allegedly by their husbands, two of whom then committed suicide.
(More: The Miami Herald News Source)
2002 © The Associated Press.

Dan