Below are highlights from a story by Terry Gildea of OPB News.
To read the story in full, please click here
Defense officials say they are committing new resources to detecting and preventing suicidal behavior in soldiers, including those fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. But watchdogs -- and a recent government report -- suggest the Pentagon may not be doing enough to make sure at-risk personnel get treatment once they get home.
No legislation has been passed, but Oregon lawmakers are pushing the military to do more.
Gordon Smith: "It's a tragedy to ever lose a soldier for any cause, but it just seems extra cruel when the cause is suicide. They're defending our country, America's interests and if we can't give them mental health assistance when they're in harm's way, we're really falling down on the job."
88 active duty soldiers killed themselves in 2005, a number that was up 13% over 2003 and more than 70% over 2001.
Paul Rieckhoff, executive director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, calls the figures alarming. And he says an overstretched military and repeat tours of duty are taking a toll on soldiers.
Paul Rieckhoff: "The last rotation, roughly 40% were there for the second time. Many are there now for the 3rd or 4th time. Divorce rates are going up, the violence continues to increase, and roughly one in three are coming home with mental health issues or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, so our people are really showing signs of wear."
Senator Smith says he's very alarmed with the military suicides and says the armed forces must do more to address mental health issues.
Gordon Smith: "Well we're not acting enough, these are not illegitimate issues these are real medical problems and if we're going to ask people to go into harm's way to defend our country we need to have medical services in which mental health enjoys an equal setting with physical health."
Recent evidence suggests the Defense Department is not effective in referring soldiers for mental health care.
About 5% of soldiers who've fought in Iraq and Afghanistan met criteria for PTSD in a study by the Government Accountability Office. But only one in five of those soldiers were referred for treatment by military clinicians. The report also found different military branches vary widely in their referral practices.
The study's bottom line: the Pentagon cannot provide reasonable assurance that Afghanistan and Iraq service members who need referrals receive them.
2 comments:
I find that it's not only a matter of inappropriate treatment, but it's also a matter of unavailable resources. The military also doesn't refer soldiers (post-war, etc) due to inability to screen them. Most soldiers leave the military, to be re-introduced into the civilian world, without any screening at all. What the military calls a "screen" is no more than two questions--not much of a valid or reliable screen. Thanks for posting this; it might raise awareness regarding such an important American issue.
this is a very important issue, i agree. i have a good friend, someone you may know about, dan, up in your neck of the woods, named Q, who is a photographer, and volunteers his time to attend and photograph all memorials for our fallen troops in the pacific northwest. i believe he resides in oregon, he has had many news articles written about him in the salem news. he uses his own funds to do this. but he also keeps up a website, the most viewed about our military heroes, www.operationiraqheroes.org and although he accepts donations for gas money, etc., it is totally funded by himself. it is an awesome site. anyway, that said, he has a section on the site about PTSD and often speaks of it. even though the news speaks of about 3,000 troops having died, his numbers are much higher because he includes on his site all those who have died from PTSD and other issues besides battle injuries. you need to read it to understand. he is doing a really great thing in bringing these heroes to light. and in bringing PTSD to light as well.
much love,
karen
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