What is it about?
Living with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a big deal. Just how big a deal may be expressed in terms of 'burden of illness'. This study shows that Dutch military Veterans with PTSD have a higher burden than those without PTSD. Those with PTSD report lower quality of life and higher productivity loss and healthcare utilization.
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Why is it important?
Understanding the burden of PTSD can help researchers and healthcare providers make the case for more research and better access to treatment.
Perspectives
Understanding the burden of PTSD in Dutch patients has long been on our wishlist. PTSD is a taxing disorder whose burden is not always easy to communicate. Burden of illness studies provide data to express this burden. This helps policy makers understand what it is like to live with PTSD and why supporting those with PTSD is a shared responsibility. The burden of PTSD may differ per country, with the United States having a different burden from European countries such as the Netherlands. The Netherlands have strong wellfare and veterans healthcare systems, which may impact the burden of illness. This study enables us to talk about what the burden of PTSD is like for Dutch military veterans, rather than having to rely on data from other countries.
Prof. dr. Jackie June ter Heide
ARQ Centrum'45 and Utrecht University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Burden of PTSD in Dutch Veterans: A Societal Cost and Quality-of-Life Study, Journal of Loss and Trauma, August 2026, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1080/15325024.2026.2700206.
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