---

Deputy Executive Director
Central Nassau Guidance and Counseling Services, Inc.
ppachter@centralnassau.org

More than one-third of all U.S. soldiers returning from Iraq have received psychological counseling according to a recent study completed by the Department of Defense. Researchers at the Pentagon didn't find these results surprising, since the military implemented a new mental health screening program for returning soldiers and is encouraging them to seek help early, in order to prevent serious problems later on such as post traumatic stress disorder. Because this screening program for mental health-related issues is new, the findings can't be compared to those incidents of PTSD or psychological trauma attributed to Desert Storm or Vietnam.

Pentagon officials have stated that they want to address the psychological consequences of war up front. Their hope is that they won't have to experience the high rates of mental health problems they saw in prior wars. Many of these problems still plague veterans receiving services in community-based mental health treatment programs here on Long Island. The Pentagon reports that 35 percent of Iraq veterans received mental health treatment during their first year home. In addition, 12 percent of the more than 222,000 returning Army soldiers and Marines in the Pentagon study were diagnosed with a significant mental health problem.

According to the findings reported, 19 percent of those back from Iraq reported mental health concerns, compared with 11 percent of those back from Afghanistan and 8.5 percent of those returning from other places, such as Bosnia. These findings are certainly not startling to anyone working in the mental health field; but, with the Iraq war entering it's fourth year, these statistics will only increase.

Veterans' advocates believe that the study supports their call for increased spending on mental health care for Iraq veterans. No surprise here either. President George Bush has proposed a 6 percent increase in spending for the Department of Veterans Affairs. But some congressional leaders believe that this figure is not sufficient because the proposed increase hinges on more than $1 billion in cuts in other VA spending and the approval of new fees and co-payments for some veterans. For our returning veterans and for those already receiving mental health services through VA facilities, they are now going to be placed in the same situation that many patients with mental health problems have been - needing to choose between such necessary treatments as individual counseling, group therapy, vocational training, medication management and the ability to maintain a good quality of life.

Funding one mental health program while cutting another related service just shortchanges the patient with mental illness and the families that shoulder the burden to provide nurturance and care. This is compounded for the men and women who will be returning from Iraq, who might be carrying emotional scars that haven't been assessed and require professional mental health treatment.

Medical experts first legitimized the diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder as a psychiatric condition in 1980 at the urging of veterans returning home from Vietnam. According to a recent independent study, between 15 and 17 percent of soldiers returning from Iraq showed signs of the disorder, and many were reluctant to seek help because of the stigma attached to mental illness. Shortly after commencing ground war operations in Iraq in 2003, the Pentagon began requiring returning service members to complete a three-page survey that was used to decide who might need further mental health help.

Among some of the questions asked were whether the person was experiencing nightmares, were they constantly feeling on guard or experiencing feelings of detachment. Trying to assess mental health problems early, especially in a post war environment, is the correct thing to do. Providing the appropriate treatment resources for our veterans and their families, including adequate funding, is a necessary prerequisite as well. The lessons learned from Vietnam, the first gulf war and Agent Orange shouldn't be lost on those servicemen and women returning from Iraq.

We all know too well about the consequences of war on life and the economy. We must also accept that mental illness is a consequence of war, and that we have an obligation as a society to provide the best possible care to our armed services personnel. If you or a loved one believes that you might need help, please call our Counseling Center at 822-6111.