Veterans Day Highlights Need for Military Mental H... (iation has compileda number of resources...)

Veterans Day Highlights Need for Military Mental Health Care

Date:11/10/2008

iation has compiled a number of resources on issues such as PTSD and depression as well as links to helpful information on http://www.healthyminds.org.

Many studies have demonstrated the significant incidence of mental health problems affecting the military serving in Iraq and Afghanistan: depression, anxiety, substance use disorders. The enormity of the problem was demonstrated in a recent study by the RAND Corporation for example, in which roughly one third of military members returning home from a combat zone was found to suffer from mental health problems. Specifically, finding showed nearly 300,000 U.S. troops are suffering from major depression or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and another 320,000 have experienced traumatic brain injuries.

Only about half of those suffering from mental illness have sought treatment.

Family members too experience stress and anxiety related to deployment. In a study conducted by the American Psychiatric Association, nearly half of spouses surveyed reported difficulty sleeping, and more than a third reported both experiencing anxiety and feeling depressed at least twice a week. In addition, parental stress and emotional distress negatively impacts children's behavior and school performance.

Additionally, both military members and their spouses reported low levels of knowledge of the warning signs of, and effective treatment options for, mental health issues that may result from having served in support of a war zone. Slightly more than half felt uninformed and about one quarter reported they know nothing at all about effective treatment options.

Another challenge faced by the military community is stigma. The same APA survey, two thirds of military members reported that they believe seeking help for mental health concerns would have at least some negative impact on their career. Twenty-eight percent felt it would have a moderate or a gre
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