The Critical Need for Military & Civilian Mental Health Professionals

The Critical Need for Military & Civilian Mental Health Professionals Trained To Treat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder & Traumatic Brain Injury

“The Current Complement of Mental Health Professionals is Woefully Inadequate” An Achievable Vision: Department of Defense Task Force on Mental Health (June 2007)

New Statistics from the Veterans Administration. According to the VA (2009), through August 2008, it is estimated that 76,000 enrolled OEF/OIF veterans have a probable diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), 60,000 have a diagnosis of depression, and nearly 13,000 have been diagnosed with an alcohol dependence syndrome.

New Army Findings are Alarming. According to a new study released by the Army Medical Command (January 2009), in 2007, 15-20% of all soldiers (and 30% of those redeployed) in Iraq & Afghanistan show signs or depression or PTSD. In addition, army suicides hit a record high and 2 of 10 soldiers said their marriages are in trouble.

Many in Need Don’t Seek Help –According to the Army, due to stigma, only 40% of those who screen positive for serious emotional problems seek help. Surveys also found that many service personnel seeking help were not properly identified as having PTSD (Mental Health Advisory Team IV: Operation Iraqi Freedom, May 2007).

There is a stigma associated with mental illness in military communities. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Association (SAMHSA, 2007), service members frequently cite fear of personal embarrassment, disappointing comrades, losing the opportunity for career advancement, and dishonorable discharge as motivations to hide symptoms of mental illness from family, friends, and colleagues.

Veterans Seeking Help Outside the System. VA data from 2005 indicates that 22% of veterans received their mental health care outside the VA system. The percentage varies from state to state with the rural states having the greatest percentage of those receiving care outside the system (VA System Ill-equipped to Treat Mental Anguish of War, McClatchy Newspapers, February 9, 2007).

Inaccessible Mental Health Providers - The DoD task force also found that mental health providers are not sufficiently accessible to service members. Yet, nearly 40% of the soldiers, a third of the Marines and half of the National Guard report symptoms of psychological problems. The DoD report further states that the National Guard and reservists face particularly constrained access to care when they return to their communities. In fact, approximately one-third of both groups reported choosing civilian care because they lived too far from a military treatment facility (An Achievable Vision: Department of Defense Task Force on Mental Health, June 2007).

There is a Shortage of Mental Health Providers – The military services have experienced difficulty in recruiting fully trained clinical psychologists for several years. According to a report by the Department of Defense (DoD) this shortage is deepening as active duty mental health professionals, also stressed by repeated deployments, are leaving the military in growing numbers (An Achievable Vision: Department of Defense Task Force on Mental Health, June 2007).

Inadequately Trained Mental Health Providers – According to DoD, current training related to psychological health is insufficient and inconsistent across military services. In addition to providing more training, there needs to be training that is evidence-based and demonstrated to be effective. VA policy has no provision for assuring that community mental health professionals have appropriate expertise to effectively treat veterans (Testimony by the Wounded Warrior Project in front of the Veterans Affairs Committee, 2009). Another report commissioned by Defense Secretary Gates, which supports the DoD findings, noted the need for a coordinated effort to provide training that would enable providers to identify and treat non-visible injuries (Rebuilding the Trust: Independent Review Group Report, April 2007).

Long Term Consequences of Unaddressed Mental Health Needs in Service Members – Veterans with untreated mental health problems may face long term consequences in terms of their overall health and ability to fully reintegrate into their communities. The potential of chronic mental health conditions, a failure to intervene early and effectively could have profound long-term costs for this generation of veterans as well as for society (Testimony by the Wounded Warrior Project in front of the Veterans Affairs Committee, 2009).

Contact: Nina Levitt * American Psychological Association * 202/336-6023