On Veterans Day we should all take a moment to thank those brave men and women who put their lives on the line for our nation. As an Independent Living Center, Options has an important role in honoring our veterans by advocating for those who return with a disability or mental health diagnosis.
Sadly, this group is growing.
The experience of going to war leaves many veterans with obvious physical injuries. However, since the Vietnam War, we have recognized that many return from battle with disabilities that are not so visible.
According to a 1988 congressional study, it is estimated that 15 percent of Vietnam veterans suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The non-partisan Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) now estimates that about one in three Iraq veterans will face a serious mental health issue, such as depression, anxiety or PTSD.
When you consider that nearly 1.5 million men and women have served in this conflict, that means that nearly half a million veterans may be in need of mental health services.
However, these services are not sufficiently available.
Despite the massive increase in need, the Department of Defense reports that there has been a 20 percent drop in the number of licensed psychologists in the military in recent years. Furthermore, more than 90 percent of military psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers reported no formal training or supervision in the recommended PTSD therapies.
The Pentagon's Task Force on Mental Health has sounded the alarm saying the “current complement of mental health professionals is woefully inadequate.”
The heartbreaking reality of this crisis shows up in a number of other areas. For many, it can be borne out in the disturbing rise in divorce, domestic violence and substance abuse among returning veterans. According to the IAVA, 20 percent of married troops in Iraq say they are planning a divorce and more than 40,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have been treated at a VA hospital for substance abuse.
The Veterans Administration also estimates that “about one-third of the adult homeless population have served their country in the Armed Services. On any given day, as many as 250,000 veterans are living on the streets or in shelters, and perhaps twice as many experience homelessness at some point during the course of a year.”
Perhaps most chillingly, the U.S. Army reports that the suicide rate among active duty personnel and veterans has reached a 26-year high.
As a result of both the growing seriousness of the situation and our growing understanding of effective mental health treatment, groups like the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, have called for increased resources for mental health services for the military and veterans.
Veterans Day should be a powerful reminder of how vital it is that we take up this call.
Our nation is defended by a brave group of men and women who volunteer to die, if necessary, to defend us. We owe it to them to help them heal the wounds they sustained on our behalf, both physical and psychological.
Collin M. Sullivan is the ADA/access advocate for Options for Independence
The experience of going to war leaves many veterans with obvious physical injuries. However, since the Vietnam War, we have recognized that many return from battle with disabilities that are not so visible.
According to a 1988 congressional study, it is estimated that 15 percent of Vietnam veterans suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The non-partisan Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) now estimates that about one in three Iraq veterans will face a serious mental health issue, such as depression, anxiety or PTSD.
When you consider that nearly 1.5 million men and women have served in this conflict, that means that nearly half a million veterans may be in need of mental health services.
However, these services are not sufficiently available.
Despite the massive increase in need, the Department of Defense reports that there has been a 20 percent drop in the number of licensed psychologists in the military in recent years. Furthermore, more than 90 percent of military psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers reported no formal training or supervision in the recommended PTSD therapies.
The Pentagon's Task Force on Mental Health has sounded the alarm saying the “current complement of mental health professionals is woefully inadequate.”
The heartbreaking reality of this crisis shows up in a number of other areas. For many, it can be borne out in the disturbing rise in divorce, domestic violence and substance abuse among returning veterans. According to the IAVA, 20 percent of married troops in Iraq say they are planning a divorce and more than 40,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have been treated at a VA hospital for substance abuse.
The Veterans Administration also estimates that “about one-third of the adult homeless population have served their country in the Armed Services. On any given day, as many as 250,000 veterans are living on the streets or in shelters, and perhaps twice as many experience homelessness at some point during the course of a year.”
Perhaps most chillingly, the U.S. Army reports that the suicide rate among active duty personnel and veterans has reached a 26-year high.
As a result of both the growing seriousness of the situation and our growing understanding of effective mental health treatment, groups like the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, have called for increased resources for mental health services for the military and veterans.
Veterans Day should be a powerful reminder of how vital it is that we take up this call.
Our nation is defended by a brave group of men and women who volunteer to die, if necessary, to defend us. We owe it to them to help them heal the wounds they sustained on our behalf, both physical and psychological.
Collin M. Sullivan is the ADA/access advocate for Options for Independence
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