British soldiers take MoD to court over 'medical negligence'

The mental scars suffered by those who have experienced the horrors of the Iraq conflict have been exposed in a series of medical studies and legal actions.

The first piece of major research charting the psychological impact of the conflict is expected to show that thousands of members of Britain's armed forces have returned with problems, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The relentless bombings and shootings, as well as the intrinsic doubts of being involved in this particular war, have, say medical specialists, made Iraq the most troubling combat theatre for soldiers since the Second World War.

In the first of such litigation, 15 British soldiers who recently served in Iraq are suing the Ministry of Defence over alleged medical negligence. The widow of one serviceman who committed suicide after returning from Iraq is expected to bring a separate legal action.

US forces, who have faced - and continue to face - greater violence than British troops, report a higher level of trauma. More than one-fifth of US troops returning from Iraq may suffer from PTSD, according to a recent report. One of its authors, Carl Castro of the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, said: "There are a significant number of soldiers who require help."

US forces in the field in Iraq now regularly have members from the mental health unit, "mindsweepers", in forward base. In the US, ecstasy tablets (MDMA) are being used to help treat flashbacks and recurring nightmares. The US Food and Drug Administration authorised the drug for Iraq veterans after successful initial research at a facility in South Carolina.

Stress caused by the conflict has also been used in legal defence. In Britain, Andrew Wragg, a former SAS trooper who killed his 10-year-old terminally ill son, was cleared last month of murder and convicted of manslaughter. Lewes Crown Court in Sussex heard he was suffering from temporary abnormality of mind caused by his experience in Iraq.

The Territorial Army has 60 members receiving psychological help. Half of those who requested help are reservists and not entitled to army facilities.