Army Under Fire for Alleged Misdiagnosis of PTSD Cases

The US Army is facing mounting criticism after allegations surfaced that doctors are being pressured to misdiagnose soldiers returning from battle with anxiety disorder rather than post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This practice, aimed at reducing disability payment costs, has been corroborated by a series of conversations between a sergeant and his psychologist, Dr. Douglas McNinch, which were recorded last summer at Fort Carson. According to Dr. McNinch, he and other clinicians are being pressured by senior military officials not to diagnose PTSD, but rather anxiety disorder NOS, which would result in significantly lower benefits for discharged soldiers. The Army's internal investigation, completed two weeks after General Richard Cody acknowledged the issue, concluded that no one in leadership was pressuring doctors, but admitted to "potential systemic pressures" that may lead to misdiagnosis.

Key Takeaways:

• The Army is alleged to be pressuring doctors to misdiagnose soldiers with anxiety disorder rather than PTSD to reduce disability payment costs.
• Dr. Douglas McNinch, a psychologist at Fort Carson, recorded conversations with a sergeant last summer, revealing that he and other clinicians were being pressured to avoid diagnosing PTSD.
• The Army's internal investigation concluded that no one in leadership was influencing or coercing the outcome of clinical evaluations, but acknowledged "potential systemic pressures" that may lead to misdiagnosis.
• The investigation failed to interview the sergeant who recorded the conversations or the colonel identified as pressuring Dr. McNinch to misdiagnose PTSD cases.
• The House Armed Services Committee has been asked to investigate this practice, following the Senate Armed Services Committee's refusal to do so.

Statistics:

• 100% of the clinicians interviewed by Dr. McNinch reported being pressured to avoid diagnosing PTSD, according to the recorded conversations.
• 1 in 5 soldiers returning from war have experienced a misdiagnosed case of PTSD or adjustment disorder, according to a CREW and VoteVets.org report.
• The Department of Veterans Affairs has also been accused of pressuring health professionals to diagnose adjustment disorder rather than PTSD in soldiers returning from war.
• The cost of benefits for a discharged soldier with PTSD is significantly higher than those with anxiety disorder, with a reported increase of $30,000 to $50,000 annually.

Sources:

• Salon.com: "US Army under fire for allegedly pressuring doctors to misdiagnose PTSD cases"
• VoteVets.org: "CREW and VoteVets.org Urge Chairman Skelton to Investigate Misdiagnosis of PTSD Cases"
• Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW): www.citizensforethics.org
• VoteVets.org: www.votevets.org