Why are Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans seeking PTSD disability compensation at unprecedented rates?

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have produced historically low rates of fatalities, injuries, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among U.S. combatants. Yet they have also produced historically unprecedented rates of PTSD disability compensation seeking from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The purpose of this article is to consider hypotheses that might potentially resolve this paradox, including high rates of PTSD, delayed onset PTSD, malingered PTSD, and economic variables. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.