More Of The Same
This latest GAO report was requested by Rep. Lane Evans (D-Ill.), the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee ranking Democrat.Data for the 2004 budget year show that fewer than half of those using VA health care are screened for PTSD. The report also said that “if veterans returning from combat do not have access to these services, many mental health experts believe that the chance may be missed to lessen the severity of symptoms and improve the overall quality of life for those with the disorder.”The VA contends that the report did not adequately describe the type of services for PTSD that the agency has provided over the past 20 years or its ability to provide such services in the future. In a reference to the GAO report, Dr. Jonathan Perlin, the VA’s Acting Undersecretary for Health, said: “We take exception to this report,” and noted that “the VA is a world leader in PTSD treatment.”GAO investigators said the VA has put in place only 14 of 24 recommendations from an advisory committee that Congress created, while the VA says it has completed seven. The bottom line, according to the report, is that the delay “raises questions about VA’s capacity to identify and treat veterans returning from combat who may be at risk” for developing PTSD and maintaining treatment for veterans already receiving help.PERCEPTION WARSIn early February, Col. Thomas Burke, Director of Mental Health Policy for the Department of Defense, said that the stigma for troops seeking mental health care “is a real problem,” and that “there is a perception among the troops that seeking mental health care means you’re weak or a coward and, frankly, we in the military foster that attitude.” Burke also noted that “the biggest barrier to reducing stigma in the military is confidentiality.”In other words, troopers who self-identify themselves as suffering from PTSD or other forms of psychological trauma and then try to pursue medical help are running into difficulties. Perhaps that’s the reason for an Army Times report of February 28 that “some troops in Iraq are taking antidepressants such as Prozac, Zoloft and Paxil.” On the other hand, this does little to explain The Guardian’s report on February 17 that some scientists in South Carolina want to offer the street drug “Ecstasy” as a treatment for PTSD and are advertising for combat veteran volunteers. The scientists note that the drug-assisted therapy sessions last up to eight hours during which music is played.COMMITTEE NOTESThe PTSD Awareness poster is hot off the presses. The committee decided to provide a copy to each of the 206 Vet Centers, as well as to each member who attends the San Mateo meeting of VVA’s Conference of State Council Presidents. In addition, the committee has begun planning a one-day conference on the immediate mental health needs of veterans, especially those participating in the War on Terror. Lastly, with the assistance of the Government Relations staff, the committee chair submitted written testimony for the record to the VA’s Veterans Readjustment group in mid-February.
About the Author
Dr. Tom Berger is a Life Member of Vietnam Veterans of America and currently serves as national chair of VVA’s PTSD and Substance Abuse Committee. As such, he is a member of the Veterans’ Healthcare Administration’s (VHA) Consumer Liaison Councilfor the Committee on Care of Veterans with Serious Mental Illness. In addition, Dr. Berger holds the distinction of being the first representative of a national veterans’ service organization to hold membership on the Executive Committee of VHA’sSubstance Use Disorder Quality Enhancement Research Initiative. He is also a member of VVA’s Health Care, Government Affairs, and Project 112/SHAD committees. Dr.Berger served as a Navy Corpsman with the 3rd Marine Division in Vietnam, 1967-68.Subsequently after earning his doctoral degree from the University of Kansas, he went on to hold faculty, research and administrative appointments at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, the State University System of Florida in Tallahassee, and the University of Missouri-Columbia, as well as program management positions with the Illinois Easter Seal Society and United Cerebral Palsy of Northwest Missouri. His professional publications include articles in the fields of biological sciences, wildlife regulatory law, adolescent risk behaviors, and post-traumatic stress disorder.Dr. Berger now devotes his efforts full- time to veterans’ advocacy at the local, state and national levels on behalf of Vietnam Veterans of America. He presently resides in Columbia, Missouri. Visit their website at: http://www.vva.org
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