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What exactly is a "mental disorder"? For that matter, what criteria should determine whether any condition is a "disease" or a "disorder"? Is "disease" something like an oak tree-a physical object you can bump into or put your arms around? Or are terms like "disease" and "disorder" merely abstract, value-laden constructs, akin to "injustice" and "immorality"? Are categories of disease and disorder fundamentally different in psychiatry than in other medical specialties? And-by the way-how do the terms "disease," "disorder," "syndrome," "malady," "sickness," and "illness" differ? Anyone who believes there are easy or certain answers to these questions is either in touch with the Divine Mind, or out of touch with reality. To appreciate the complexity and ambiguity in this conceptual arena, consider this quote from the venerable Oxford Textbook of Philosophy and Psychiatry: "The term 'mental illness' is probably best used for those disorders that are intuitively most like bodily illness (or disease) and, yet, mental rather than bodily. This of course implies everything that is built into the mind-brain problem!"1(p11) In a single sentence, we are already grappling with the terms "illness," "disorder," and "disease," not to mention Cartesian psychology! And yet-daunting though these issues are-they are central to the practical task now before the DSM-V committees: figuring out what conditions ought to be included as psychiatric disorders.

In the population at large, women are more than twice as likely as men to develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), although the reasons why are not clearly understood. There are several theories that often are mentioned: * The most common trauma for women is sexual assault or childhood sexual abuse, and women are more likely than men to suffer these offenses. * Women also are more likely to be the victim of domestic violence or to have a loved one suddenly die. * There are differences in the way men's and women's brains work in processing emotions and actions and this, too, might be a contributing factor. Certain PTSD symptoms seem to be more common in women than men, according to the National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Women with PTSD are more likely to be jittery and anxious and to have more trouble feeling emotions. Men are more likely to feel anger and to have trouble controlling their anger. They also are more likely to experience the nightmares and flashbacks associated with PTSD. Men with PTSD are more prone to alcohol and drug abuse, while women are more likely to suffer from depression. One good statistic that women have going for them when it comes to PTSD: They are more likely than men to seek treatment for their symptoms. Some studies also indicate that women respond faster to treatment than do men.

Cited in "Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act of 2007"

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The third "Female Faces of War" conference will be held March 27 and 28 at Heritage State Park and aboard the Battleship Massachusetts. Registration deadline is today. The conference will offer stories from the female perspective of military service with a focus on health topics for veterans. The two-day event is hosted by the U.S.S. Massachusetts Memorial Committee Inc., and the YWCAs of Greater Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts.

"Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Statistics for OEF / OEF AFGHANISTAN * A recent study showed that 18 percent of 45,880 veterans were diagnosed with psychological disorders, including 183 with PTSD. IRAQ * According to a 2005 VA study of 168,528 Iraqi veterans, 20 percent were diagnosed with psychological disorders, including 1,641 with PTSD. * In an earlier VA study this year, almost 12,500 of nearly 245,000 veterans visited VA counseling centers for readjustment problems and symptoms of PTSD. * The Marines and Army were nearly four times more likely to report PTSD than Navy or Air Force because of their greater exposure to combat situations. * Enlisted men were twice as likely as officers to report PTSD. "

"The VA's position on PTSD-combat links is untenable, though. Critics such as independent journalist Ilona Meagher, who edits the online journal PTSD Combat: Winning the War Within, argue that the government willfully ignores PTSD issues, which leads to troubling results such as increased troop suicides. "

"Ilona Meagher, the author of "Moving a Nation to Care: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and America's Returning Troops," maintains a detailed online list of resources for veterans seeking help with PTSD. In the past, she has featured the warrior poets. "Everybody coping with PTSD needs an outlet, some way to express themselves," she said during a telephone interview from Chicago. "This is one powerful way to not only to help the veterans cope, but to make the public at large aware of this serious problem.""

"If you haven't seen Ilona Meagher's website focused on combat-related post-traumatic stress among US soldiers and veterans, go here. Meagher wrote a book called, Moving a Nation to Care: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and America's Returning Troops. And this week, she's gathered a very useful collection of statistics on the military services with some of the following highlights. Better not to quote me directly here; go to Ilona's site and see the sources she cites for the study parameters and context:"

"Just learned this today from the blog PTSD Combat: Winning the War Within:"

"Excerpt: Every month, Ilona Meagher, author of Moving A Nation to Care: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and America's Returning Troops, posts a collection of "combat clips"-essentially a stack of statistics reported in the mainstream media but buried by the daily barrage of news and chatter. The stats, collected at her blog, PTSD Combat: Winning the War Within, cover a lot of ground, from suicides to face transplants, but I wanted to pull out some numbers relating to women in the military... Full story: http://www.utne.com/War-and-Peace/Women-in-the-US-Military-6216.aspx -- Tanya L. Roth PhD Candidate, Department of History Washington University in St. Louis "

"Every month, Ilona Meagher, author of Moving A Nation to Care: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and America's Returning Troops, posts a collection of "combat clips"-essentially a stack of statistics reported in the mainstream media but buried by the daily barrage of news and chatter. The stats, collected at her blog, PTSD Combat: Winning the War Within, cover a lot of ground, from suicides to face transplants, but I wanted to pull out some numbers relating to women in the military:"