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Home  News Latest Hearings On Soldiers' Delayed onset of PTSD
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Hearings On Soldiers' Delayed onset of PTSD |
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WASHINGTON - U.S. Representative Tom Udall, D-N.M., today sent a letter to the Chairwoman and Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel to request Congressional hearings on the Defense Department's new "chain teaching" program for addressing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI).
The program seeks to educate servicemembers about the effects of PTSD or MTBI by using the military chain of command to disseminate information and eliminate stigma. Udall has requested hearings to ensure that the program takes into account any late onset of symptoms related to PTSD. A study released this week by the Journal of the American Medical Association indicates that servicemembers are more likely to report symptoms of PTSD six months after returning from combat rather than immediately after returning from the field.
"Servicemembers who experience PTSD symptoms after returning home must be provided with the assistance they need," said Udall. "These brave men and women are oftentimes returning to combat for a subsequent tour of duty possibly while experiencing the effects of PTSD. While the chain teaching program is a good idea, we need to also make sure that our soldiers are served at the time they need help most."
The dominant features of PTSD are emotional numbing, irritability, and reexperiencing of the trauma (e.g., flashbacks or intrusive emotions). Studies suggest that as many as 17 percent of Iraq veterans will experience PTSD. The Defense Department has identified lack of information and the stigma surrounding mental illness as major barriers preventing servicemembers from seeking the help they need.
Said Udall, "PTSD and MTBI are serious threats to our servicemembers, and we must have a response that is equal to the threat. I will continue to work with my colleagues to ensure that our servicemembers receive the support they deserve."
For eight years, Udall was a member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, during which time he helped lead the fight for Congress and the VA to recognize the alarming rate of PTSD and MTBI in soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Udall is committed to providing proper and adequate treatment for all afflictions suffered by our troops, including PTSD and MTBI.
"Although invisible, these are injuries nevertheless sustained by our soldiers while defending our nation and they must be properly treated. We would not put a soldier back on the battlefield after sustaining a significant injury and not receiving treatment, nor should we send back a soldier wounded by PTSD or MTBI without proper care," Udall concluded. |
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