Invisible wounds of war: There's an app for that?

By AP Published: 2011-07-26T07:24:00+04:00

Combat troops and veterans battling post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries can now turn to smartphone applications for help dealing with the age-old wounds of war.

A half-dozen apps with names like "T2 MoodTracker," ''PTSD Coach" and "Breathe2Relax" have been developed by the Pentagon and the Veterans Affairs Department. They offer at-your-fingertips information about what the military calls "invisible wounds" of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan — and techniques for managing the symptoms. The apps aren't designed to replace treatment or make a diagnosis.

All but one were the work of the Pentagon, starting with MoodTracker, which lets users rate how they're feeling — worthless, happy, lonely and so on — and keep a record of their ups and downs over time.