Introduction
combat-related PTSD, deaths, PTSD
The military conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past 2 decades have been the longest military operations in US history. Almost 3 million military personnel have deployed, resulting in more than 7000 deaths and 53 000 service members wounded.When the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan began, there were no published PTSD clinical trials in active-duty US military personnel to inform clinicians treating this population.Although these initial results indicated that PE was effective for the treatment of combat-related PTSD, approximately 60% of participants continued to meet diagnostic criteria for PTSD at the 6-month follow-up. This suggested that further adaptations to the standard treatment protocols may be required to address unique aspects of combat-related PTSD.In 2022, the war in Ukraine raised international concerns regarding the risk of PTSD in military personnel and civilians.