PTSD and Murder Among Newest Veterans

by: Jon Soltz

Mon Jan 14, 2008 at 17:39:33 PM EST


This weekend, while the 24-hour primary coverage raged on, the New York Times published a very well researched and stunning report on the number of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans involved in killings, here in America. They found at least 121 cases, now, where a veteran was charged with involvement in a homicide.

The trend of our newest veterans being involved in killings on the homefront can be largely attributed to four letters -- PTSD. Our failure to properly screen for and treat this mental injury is the source of so many problems our newest veterans face -- from drug and alcohol abuse, to homelessness, to joblessness, to spousal abuse, to suicide, and now, to murders.

We have got to get serious about this issue, and do three key things:  
Jon Soltz :: PTSD and Murder Among Newest Veterans
• First, we must make it a requirement for troops and veterans to get periodic mental evaluation -- and we must appropriate the money to ensure there are enough qualified counselors to do so. If a veteran lives too far to get an evaluation from a VA center, we should allow them to see a board-certified mental health professional, and reimburse the cost. The military and VA must get serious about these screenings, the same as they have for HIV. Every member of the military must constantly be tested for these diseases, period. Mental health screenings should also become a part of the culture of the military. Period.

• Second, we must do away with all the red tape and hurdles a veteran must go through to "prove" they have PTSD, when they take it upon themselves to seek help. Far too many veterans are denied a "full PTSD" diagnosis because the cost of providing them with full disability is too much for the VA budget to handle. We need to scrap the entire process, and no longer put the burden on the veteran to 'prove' they have PTSD.

• Third, we must rigorously screen all returning troops for mental strain -- not ask them to fill out a simple questionnaire.

Until we tackle this serious issue, and treat it like the serious injury it is, we will continue to see these disturbing trends -- many of which also applied to the Vietnam veterans. Time is of the essence, now. The question is, will we leave a new generation of veterans behind?
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PTSD and Murder Among Newest Veterans | 6 comments
On this... (4.00 / 1)

.... I couldn't agree more on the whole. But this one thing always bothered me about the deployment screening.
Third, we must rigorously screen all returning troops for mental strain -- not ask them to fill out a simple questionnaire.

The times I came back with my unit and we were made to fill these out we were sitting on the bleachers looking at our families. The person who was telling us to fill them out also said that we would be released after they briefly looked through the questionaires and if anyone's questionaire showed that they needed help they would be seen immediately.

I for one just answered all the questions so it made it seem like I had no problems. I wanted to go home and see my family after months of being away. I didnt want to sit in a gym and talk to a doctor about how I felt.

If they are going to continue the questionaire format they need to give them to soldiers at a better time.

Brian


PTSD is a very troubling subject (4.00 / 2)
When I first returned home in 2004, we were given the standard out-processing questionnaire with everyone there, and the standard 28 seconds to fill it out. I came home with nightmares, inability to sleep, and suicidal tendencies.  After a trip to the local ER one night, I finally started seeing a counselor at the VA.  I have a 60% disability from PTSD and bilateral hearing loss (an AT-4 was fired next to my left ear).  The main problem, IMHO is the stigma that PTSD has with the military, the media, and the public in general.  Getting to the point where PTSD is treated the way it should be is a tremendous uphill battle.

"No U.S. soldier ever dies in vain because they're carrying out the missions of their commander in chief. And we honor all the service that they've provided." - Barack Obama
tackling a tough problem... (0.00 / 0)
For active duty service members, adequate and regular screening for mental health issues is absolutely crucial. However, as long as there is such significant stigma surrounding mental health issues, service members may not be honest - whenever the screening is conducted. There is significant fear that admitting to problems or seeking care will negatively impact careers. It is crucial to increase the availability of confidential care while active duty.

Additionally, it is important to try to reduce this stigma. Perhaps it would help for "success stories" to be made public - for respected, honorable people to step forward, admit that they had problems, and express how seeking care helped them. This could help reduce stigma, and also show commanders that early intervention and treatment can help keep their forces combat-ready, rather than considering any psych diagnosis a sign of non-deployability and making troops think seeking help is a career-killer.

For service members who have separated, the VA is testing some innovative ideas, like embedding mental health practitioners in primary care clinics, as a way to decrease the stigma associated with seeking MH care. Screening for depression, TBI, and other issues is mandatory. I think it is important to encourage these sorts of initiatives.

However, I'm actually not sure that I agree that we should "require" veterans to get periodic mental health evaluations. This would be a logistical nightmare, and may turn off many of those it is meant to help. Rather, I think we should focus more on encouraging the VA and DoD to work on reducing stigma and encouraging a transformation from thinking of this as an issue of weakness or illness to thinking of mental health care as part of overall wellness. The VA provides free care for two years post-separation for all OIF/OEF veterans, but often faces image problems as being for "older" veterans. We can help combat these image problems, and help the VA find ways to be more visibly friendly to younger veterans.

After multiple congressional, internal, and external reports, both the VA and the DoD are trying very hard to implement positive changes. We must encourage veterans in need to use available services, seek out ways to reduce stigma and encourage help-seeking, and help overcome other barriers. Funding and oversight from Congress will be crucial in the coming years.  

Embedded mental health. (0.00 / 0)

 Can't mental health be part of a yearly physical program?

Brian

[ Parent ]
it could be ... (0.00 / 0)
given that there would be adequate training, staffing, and supervision to ensure that it is more than perfunctory.

Again, though, I really think that the stigma issue MUST be addressed. If MH issues are seen as weakness or career-enders, vets will continue to try to hide or discount them.

[ Parent ]
it could be ... (0.00 / 0)
given that there would be adequate training, staffing, and supervision to ensure that it is more than perfunctory.

Again, though, I really think that the stigma issue MUST be addressed. If MH issues are seen as weakness or career-enders, vets will continue to try to hide or discount them.

[ Parent ]
PTSD and Murder Among Newest Veterans | 6 comments
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