A new study released yesterday by the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene revealed that the number of people who have developed post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of being exposed to 9/11 continues to increase as the years since the attack go on. Nineteen percent of the 50,000 people polled in the 2006-07 survey showed signs of PTSD, up from 14 percent in a survey taken in '03-'04. Co-author of the study, NYC Deputy Health Commissioner Lorna Thorpe said, "There are very few studies that have looked at one-time major disaster and looked at the course of mental health over time." She said that lingering health problems or eventual job loss due to the tragic events lead to the increase in PTSD cases and that the statistics from those around the WTC attacks are very consistent with those of combat veterans. Thorpe said, "(PTSD) is really the largest burden in terms of health conditions."