Is PTSD Overdiagnosed?

As soldiers come home after serving in war zones like Iraq and Afghanistan, they face huge barriers. One moment they’re ducking roadside bombs; soon after, they’re dealing with crowded grocery stores, job applications, and traffic jams. The abrupt change can trigger anxiety or depression - some reports estimate that post-traumatic stress disorder affects one out of five returning soldiers. But questions over those PTSD numbers are percolating. Some members of the medical community say PTSD is being over-diagnosed, and that it’s harming struggling soldiers.

Reporter David Dobbs wrote about this debate for Scientific American, and he joins us with more.

David Dobbs in Scientific American: "Soldiers' Stress: What Doctors Get Wrong about PTSD"

(Photo courtesy Army.mil via Flickr/Creative Commons)