Date: June 16, 2005
Contact: Public Affairs Office
(202) 336-5700

APA Applauds Chairman Bill Young (R-FL) For Establishing The Defense Graduate Psychology Education Program (D-GPE)

Program will train psychologists to meet the mental and behavioral health needs of returning military personnel and their families

WASHINGTON — The American Psychological Association (APA) applauds The Honorable C.W. Bill Young (R-FL), Chairman of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee for allocating four million dollars in the fiscal year 2006 House Defense Appropriations bill to establish the first ever Defense Graduate Psychology Education Program (D-GPE). The allocated funds would be used to train increasing numbers of military and civilian psychologists to meet the mental and behavioral health needs of returning military personnel and their families. Although the bill has to be passed on the Floor of the House and then accepted by the Senate at Conference, it is likely the funding will be awarded.

The nation's health care system is facing a potential deluge of tens of thousands of men and women in uniform returning from Iraq and Afghanistan coping with disabilities and readjustment issues. A July 2004 New England Journal of Medicine study estimates that one in six returning soldiers reported symptoms consistent with major depression, generalized anxiety, or PTSD. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), in 2004 approximately 1700 soldiers were diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Studies also show that reservists and National Guard soldiers are particularly vulnerable to PTSD. Soldiers diagnosed with PTSD often suffer from clinical depression, hyper-vigilance, insomnia, emotional numbing, recurring nightmares and intrusive thoughts. In many cases, these symptoms worsen over time and can lead to alcohol and drug abuse, unemployment, homelessness and suicide.

Research has shown that psychological intervention can help prevent the long-term, chronic and devastating psychological consequences of war – PTSD. To avoid waiting for advanced PTSD to develop, psychologists are now going into units and focusing on prevention strategies and techniques to help soldiers deal with issues before they become serious and incapacitating. Data show that 70 to 90 percent of service members are returned to active duty within a few days when psychologists treat them at the front.

“Recognizing the acute mental health needs of our nation's men and women in uniform, the APA has proactively reached out to several of our nation's top military hospitals to inquire about the need for increasing resources to train psychologists to work with returning troops and families,” said Cynthia Belar, Ph.D., APA's Executive Director for Education. “Chairman Young recognized this urgent need and answered the call with his steadfast leadership in the U.S. Congress. None of this would be possible without his unwavering commitment to helping care for our men and women in uniform who sacrifice so much for our country,” said Dr. Belar.

Grants will be made available to APA-accredited programs to support training of military psychology internships and postdoctoral programs. Funding will also provide for an expansion of services, in that interns and residents will provide direct services, under supervision, while completing their training.

The American Psychological Association (APA), in Washington, DC, is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States and is the world's largest association of psychologists. APA's membership includes more than 150,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 53 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance psychology as a science, as a profession and as a means of promoting health, education and human welfare.

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