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Effects On War Veterans

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Our service men and women are not receiving the adequate care and help that they need when returning home from war. While the majority of the 22 million living veterans in the US have a positive view about their military service, only one in five of them feels that the government treats them well (Villatte et al. 2). Data indicates that only 38 percent of the veterans felt that the government had supported them adequately. The US supports war veterans through offering them job training, counseling, healthcare, finding apartments, and integrating into civilian life. Many of those who returned from Iraq and Afghanistan deployment in the past decade required prolonged hospitalization and treatment for mental and physical health conditions (Villatte …show more content…
It has been shown that these mental problems cause devastating consequences such as marital problems, suicide, violence, and alcohol/drug abuse. However, data indicates that only about 30 percent of the ex-military personnel seek healthcare assistance (Fox and Aaron 2). This suggests that most of them are left to suffer from their mental conditions as the department of Veteran Health Administration (VHA) mainly serves only those that seek their services.
Concerns have emerged due to the high suicidal rate among ex-military personnel. According to Veterans Affairs Department, about 20 ex-soldiers die every day from suicide. As of 2014, 7,403 veterans had died due to suicide. Data indicates that from 2001 to 2014 the veteran’s suicide cases increased by 32 percent as compared to the 23 percent of civilians (Villatte et al. 2). Most of them who died are aged about 50 years and above. The cause of the suicides is mental health especially post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Research has shown that there is a link between suicidal behaviors and trauma. For instance, a history of sexual trauma increases the chances of intentional self-harm and suicide. Additionally, studies show that among the veterans who experience combat trauma, suicidal risks are higher; especially in those hospitalized or wounded in multiple areas. This is …show more content…
It asserts that some ex-military personnel make false requests and that is why they need some time to ascertain the claims before processing the compensation. However, at the same time, this causes genuine individuals to suffer which should not be the case. The department needs to note that the service men and women are important individuals in the US since they are the once that motivate the younger generation to join military and defend the county’s interest as well (O'toole et al. 2). As such, delays when processing their compensation is unjustifiable and fraud is not enough reason to make the individuals wait for the urgently needed financial help. As asserted, most of these people live alone in rented houses without helpers. Henceforth, in a situation where an individual has a disability then the extent of suffering that the veteran might be undergoing can be more deplorable. Thus, rather than delaying the funds, the department should be devising the best mechanism of minimizing fraud and ensure that they, at least, reduce the processing period to, at most, one

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