Bill Aims To Improve Military Care

Team Infidel

Forum Spin Doctor
Hartford Courant
April 25, 2007
Pg. 2

By Matthew Kauffman and Lisa Chedekel, Courant Staff Writers
With hundreds of thousands of combat veterans suffering mental health problems following tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, two U.S. senators introduced legislation Tuesday aimed at addressing a severe shortage of active-duty psychologists and other mental-health professionals.
Joseph I. Lieberman, independent from Connecticut, and Barbara Boxer, Democrat from California, propose to establish ``centers of excellence in military mental health'' to coordinate mental health services and research, and to develop plans for recruiting and retaining psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and neurologists.
In past years, as many as 450 psychologists were on active duty in the armed forces, the senators said. But that number has dropped to 350, and a recent report by the American Psychological Association found the rate of attrition was continuing at ``an alarming pace.''
``Our troops are risking their lives for this country, and we owe them nothing less than the best care in return,'' Boxer said.
If passed, the legislation would require the secretary of defense to report to Congress in 45 days with recommendations for attracting more mental health workers. Those recommendations might include offering more money or easing service obligations, according to the bill.
The legislation comes amid growing concern over the mental health of returning troops. Of the 1.5 million who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, about a third have served at least two tours. And 20,000 have been deployed five or more times. As many as one in six have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, and as many as one in 10 suffered a traumatic brain injury, according to the senators.
The report by the American Psychological Association found that the military's shortage of active-duty clinical psychologists -- a vacancy rate of close to 40 percent in the Army and Navy -- was creating a host of ``negative outcomes,'' including reduced access to care for troops and families, and increased stress among those psychologists remaining on active duty. The report also found that many clinicians lack specialized training in PTSD and other areas, and that successful treatment strategies were not being shared. The APA recommended that the military boost its efforts to recruit licensed psychologists, while also reaching out to civilian practitioners to supplement care to service members and families.
The proposed centers of excellence would also examine the mental health needs of women and ethnic minorities who have served in combat, as well as the psychological toll on service members' families. About one in six members of the armed forces are women, and more than one in four are minority group members. About 60 percent have a spouse, a child or both.
Earlier this month, Lieberman and Boxer joined seven other senators in calling for a federal review of the Defense Department's treatment of troops with service-connected mental health disorders. The senators asked the Government Accountability Office to look into reports that some troops with PTSD and other combat-related problems were being misdiagnosed and discharged from the military, and to report back on the resources that would be needed to provide face-to-face mental health screenings for all troops returning from combat.
 
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