I find it astounding that some people have little or no sympathy for the survivor of US Airways Flight 1549's Hudson River crash who told the New York Times last week about her frustrations with US Airways’ insurer, American International Group (AIG). The woman wants AIG to pay for psychological counseling for herself and her family to reduce their risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). AIG says it will pick up the tab for only three counseling sessions.

PTSD is an all-too-real neurological disorder. Yet the blogosphere seems full of comments like these:

"Yes, having to escape from a sinking plane is scary, but is it really all that likely to lead to PTSD?"

"What’s wrong with that woman. I’d still be doing cartwheels just glad to be alive."

"I’m sorry, how disgusting! They walk away from a jet crash and are whining about what they saw? Talk about the glass half full."

Understanding PTSD
Many different types of events can trigger PTSD, including a natural disaster, a violent physical attack, and, yes, even a plane crash in which everyone miraculously survives.

The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that at any given time about 3.5 percent of American adults – between 7 and 8 million individuals – are struggling with PTSD. The numbers are much higher (about 19 percent) for our returning soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan. Symptoms include flashbacks, insomnia, anxiety and emotional numbness. Often, the symptoms emerge weeks or months after the initial trauma, even after the person thinks he or she is "doing fine."

Scientists are only beginning to get a handle on the neurobiology of PTSD. Research suggests that some people — due to genetic factors, not personality failings — may be more at risk of developing it, perhaps as much as 40 percent more. Exactly which genes may be involved remains a mystery, although scientists have begun to narrow in on some potential suspects.

So far, treatments for PTSD have been hit-and-miss. What works for one person may not work for someone else. But medications and "talk" therapies can be helpful, and getting treatment early seems to make them more effective.

So, let’s give the Flight 1549 woman and her family a break — and treatment.

Health-care myths debunked, Part 3

As I noted on Monday, a recent article in the Annals of Surgery lays out arguments, loaded with statistics, to debunk five myths about the U.S. health-care system. Here, as promised, is a summary of part three of the article.

Myth 3: The uninsured have equal access to medical care through the emergency room

• Many studies have shown that people who are uninsured receive less healthcare and have worse health outcomes that the insured. One study found that after adjusting for such factors as age, smoking and education, lack of insurance alone increases the risk of death by 25 percent.
• Another study compared insured and uninsured people with diabetes. Those without insurance were less likely to undergo the eye, foot and other ongoing health check-ups recommended for people with that disease to prevent blindness, amputation and other complications.
• Uninsured people are also less likely to be screened for high blood pressure, a risk factor for heart disease, and to take prescribed blood pressure medication.
• Uninsured people are less likely to be screened for various cancers—and more likely to die from those diseases.
• Emergency room care is also more costly. “Relying on emergency rooms to provide primary healthcare for the uninsured is clearly a lose-lose situation,” say the study’s authors.

Tomorrow: Myth 4: A free market is the best way to get the highest quality health insurance for the lowest cost.