...Abstract Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a mental anxiety disorder, affects 13% to 20% of armed force members returning from Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) (Hoge, et. al, 2004), in addition to a large population of Vietnam Veterans. Within the past 32 years, awareness of this disorder has escalated and the realism of the severity of this disorder has been noticed. Efforts to screen and treat PTSD in military veterans have been established by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Screening is conducted once military personnel return from deployment and treatments including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, Exposure Therapy, and medications are used to relieve the symptoms of PTSD. These screening and treatment methods are evaluated and s suggestion for improvement is made. Necessary Improvements the United States Department of Veterans Affairs and the United States Department of Defense Must Make With Regards to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder In current political debate, the United States is arguing where budget cuts should be made and how the U.S. should go about spending money. The U.S. military is consistently brought up in these considerations. In such considerations, topics such as downsizing the military and the military’s budget overall is discussed. The military budget comes into play when considering posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among military personnel. Mark Creamer...
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...Stress Disorder (PTSD). It is a common disorder found in soldiers in the United States military who have been to war. PTSD can cause many health and social issues. In order to help soldiers cope with PTSD and lead normal lives the government should focus more the counseling programs available for soldiers once they return from war. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is “the psychiatric diagnosis now given to a set of reactive symptoms that results from experiencing a traumatic event or a series of such events” (Nidiffer and Leach 1). During The Revolutionary War the soldiers began showing signs of emotional stress and started to refuse to fight. By doing so the soldiers have been viewed as cowards and were treated as though they were deserters of the military. Most of these soldiers were discharged due psychiatric problems, so rather than getting them help they just sent the soldiers back to civilian life. However, “by the end of the war Benjamin Rush, a physician of the period, became among the first to suggest that rehabilitation in some form would be better than mere punishment…Rush’s efforts to understand mental disorders and to promote humane treatment for those patients suffering from it set the foundation for American efforts to better respond to mental health needs and began the slow progression towards treating rather than scourging soldiers suffering from PTSD” (Nidiffer and Leach 7). Over the next few wars following The Revolutionary War PTSD and other combat...
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...Between 2008 and 2011 52.1 percent out of 100,000 heroes that had served the United States of America killed themselves. (McCarthy, 1937) The sad truth behind America’s attempt to keep veterans alive, when they enter civilian life. United States Department of Veteran Affairs needs to do so much more in the prevention in veteran suicide. War is not easy to deal with. That is why the United States made the United States Department of Veterans Affairs or the VA. The VA is responsible for providing health care to military veterans and their families as a benefit of their service. (Issitt) The effects of war cause injuries that family members and friends can’t see and these are the scars on the brain. In more common terms PTSD, or post-traumatic...
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...MEMORANDUM TO: FROM: RE: Keith Roberts case- PTSD and Fraudulent Disability Claims DATE: Question Presented Is eyewitness testimony able to provide evidence beyond a reasonable doubt of intent to defraud the Government through a diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) even though essentially it is one mans word against another’s? Short Answer Yes. Evidence from the accident report of the incident in question and interviews with the people recorded to be present in the accident report show that the defendant made false claims to receive compensation benefits. Statement of Facts In February 1994, Mr. Keith Roberts filed his first request for compensation benefits resultant of a diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which stemmed from an incident that occurred while he served on active duty status. In order to qualify for compensation benefits as a disabled veteran three things must be provided and they are listed as follows: 1. Official Diagnosis of PTSD 2. Credible evidence that sufficiently traumatic event occurred during active military service (in service stressor) 3. Evidence that the in service stressor caused the PTSD. See 38 C.F.R § 3.304(f). Mr. Roberts failed to provide all three documents in a timely manner, so the VA denied his claim. He failed to submit evidence of being diagnosed with PTSD and also to identify his in service stressor. In December 1994 he resubmitted the claim with a detailed...
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...Home Front Wars Veterans are facing Home-front Wars Veterans are facing “Land of the free, because of the brave.” July 4th, 1776 America was founded and presented with the red, white, and blue colors of the flag. Red symbolizing hardiness and valour, white meaning purity and innocence, while blue signifies vigilance, perseverance, and justice. Since the beginning of time there have been wars fought to protect the United States of America. Although the wars advance in time when veterans return home to get treated for physical and mental wounds these heroes often do not seek medical attention. The veteran affairs hospitals and administrations have not been updated for several years in Louisville, Kentucky. The plans to build a new Veterans’ hospital by 2023 is in the stages of congress as of today and will cost approximately $883.2 million dollars according to Rep. John Yarmouth (Vanderhoff, M Nov 2014). Instead of building a new hospital which cost that much money wouldn’t the veteran affairs and staff get modern technology, a better record keeping system, pay veterans’ waiting on disability, and improve the structure of the Veteran hospital in Louisville. Are veterans getting the help and support they are needing after returning from combat as the wars draw down? There has been several speculations and concerns with our veterans returning home facing home-front wars in regards to the Veteran Affairs and their hospitals. Veterans have been put on a so called “waitlist...
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...Veterans, in 2008 reported that there were 2.3 million African American Veteran s, 1.1 million were Hispanic, 276,000 Asian; 160,000 American Indian or Alaska Native; 27, 000 were native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander. It has been predicted by the Department of Veteran Affairs that it is expected to see 25 percent of the living Veteran population will be minorities by the year 2021. The Veterans Administration has been experiencing an increase of disability claims since the fiscal year of 2011. In 2011, 1 million Disability Compensation and Pension benefits that Veterans were already receiving benefits. There are both physical disabilities and mental health disabilities that affect the United States Veteran population. Since there is a large amount of minority Veterans and at one point of time a lot of these Veterans were not receiving benefits that they were entitled to, due to lack of knowledge of the benefits available, language barriers, and discrimination. The Center of Minority Veterans (CMV) helps the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure that all Veterans receive equal...
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...have counseling numerous mental health patients that are returning from deployment. Our goal is to advise and refer soldiers and family members to the appropriate sources to include, Social Work Service. Cases with extreme mental disability are soldiers with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) with major sleep disorders. The problem is regardless of the psychotherapy and medication the soldiers are given they continue to have extreme nightmares of death and fear. Soldier that are diagnose with PTSD normally gets two to four hours of sleep a night. Beginning with the first step in the research process is to identifying the problem. Our dilemma was soldier Behavioral Health Care beyond Army life. Data was gathered from our Mental Health Department and Traumatic Brain Injury database. After we identify the problem a Case Review Committee meeting was conducted with the hospital Behavioral Health Providers to discuss and analyze the gathered data. The outcome was to set up a Case Review Committee with department heads at the local VA hospital that cares for soldier mental health care after the Army. In Collaboration with doctors and the Veteran Military Coordinators at the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare...
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...EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This paper analyzes the cost/benefit of long-term care of Soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and the constraints the Department of Veterans Affairs faces in trying to meet the needs of these Soldiers. This paper uses data collected from government sources like the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Veterans Benefit Administration. The conclusions of the analysis are that: (a) The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is already overwhelmed by the number of patients it currently sees and the addition of these new Veteran’s seeking care will put a severe strain on the resources that are currently available; (b) The Veterans Benefit Association (VBA) is in need of restructuring to be able to handle the influx on claims it is currently experiencing. As it stands now the current wait time is up to 90 days before a Veteran will receive their disability rating and that time can increase with these additional claims; and (c) Providing medical care and disability compensation benefits to the Soldiers returning from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan can cost anywhere from $400 - $900 billion depending on the type of care required, how quickly they file their claims, and the growth rate of those benefits. The recommendations that need to be considered include: increasing the staff as well as the budget for Veterans Medical Centers especially those that specialize in mental health treatment; restructure the claims process and increase...
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...Veterans are at high risk of having PTSD as they serve our country, as it results from a traumatizing event. According to “After the event, the Veteran may feel scared, confused, or angry. If these feelings don't go away or they get worse, the symptoms may disrupt the person’s life, making it hard to continue daily activities" (“Post-Traumatic”). As PTSD can disrupt a person’s life, many are not able to resume working. Symptoms of PSTD can be difficulty concentrating and interacting with others can prevent veterans from performing work tasks or interacting with coworkers. Some employers or coworkers may feel uncomfortable with a veteran working as they might be apprehensive about their PTSD. In addition, according to Tsai, “The findings suggest several ways for VA, providers and policymakers to help these young homeless veterans, says Tsai. These include making sure that supportive-housing case managers work closely with PTSD clinicians to provide needed treatment; distinguishing between combat-related and non-combat-related PTSD and providing treatment accordingly; and following up on homeless veterans” (DeAngelis). The VA doesn’t provide check-ups for non-combat related PTSD as they don’t consider that a veteran could develop various types of mental issues over time. It is important to make sure a veterans has good mental health so it won’t interfere...
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...Traumatic Stress Disorder Sub Topics: Chronic PTSD in Vietnam Veterans PTSD in Iraq War Veterans SOURCE 1: What is PTSD? Retrieved on 13 Nov. 2011 http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/pages/what-is-ptsd.asp UNDERSTANDING PTSD Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that can occur after you have been through a traumatic event. A traumatic event is something horrible and scary that you see or that happens to you. During this type of event, you think that your life or others' lives are in danger. You may feel afraid or feel that you have no control over what is happening. Anyone who has gone through a life-threatening event can develop PTSD. These events can include: * Combat or military exposure * Child sexual or physical abuse * Terrorist attacks * Sexual or physical assault * Serious accidents, such as a car wreck. * Natural disasters, such as a fire, tornado, hurricane, flood, or earthquake. After the event, you may feel scared, confused, or angry. If these feelings don't go away or they get worse, you may have PTSD. These symptoms may disrupt your life, making it hard to continue with your daily activities. How does PTSD develop? All people with PTSD have lived through a traumatic event that caused them to fear for their lives, see horrible things, and feel helpless. Strong emotions caused by the event create changes in the brain that may result in PTSD. Most people who go through a traumatic event have...
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...and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (Newhouse, 2011). The Iraq and Afghanistan wars have left a new generation of veterans with challenges. Adjusting to civilian life, getting a job in the bad economy and dealing with the mental effects of being in combat are just a few of the challenges that these veterans face. There are government programs and laws in place to help these brave men and women but many companies do not see the benefit of hiring a veteran and many people believe that they don’t deserve what they see as preferential treatment. Veterans have made sacrifices defending our country and our freedoms. Not only do I believe they deserve all of the advantages they earned but they also deserve to have preferential treatment when applying for jobs. We need to make sure as a country that they are not discriminated against while trying to make a living for themselves and get back to civilian life after putting their lives on hold to keep us safe. We as a society need to embrace our heroes and give them the assistance that they have earned. Today there are many problems that face veterans such as homelessness, unemployment, rising costs, foreclosure and bankruptcy. Many believe that because many of these issues are faced by all Americans in this bad economy it is unfair for veterans to receive special programs and assistance, but the difference is many veterans have PTSD. An estimated 367,749 veterans have shown signs of PTSD and have gone to the Department of...
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... 2 Abstract The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), once known as the Veterans Administration, was established in 1930. It is the second largest department of the federal government. Its main function is to provide benefits and support to veterans and their families. One of these benefits provided is disability compensation, which is administered by the Veterans Benefit Administration (VBA), one of three divisions of the VA. This compensations is given to U.S. military service members who are injured or develop illnesses while serving in the armed forces. Over the last 15 years or so, the disability claims, which allow these service members to receive compensation, have grown to such an amount, that the VA has fallen drastically behind in processing these claims. This has lead to an overwhelming issue, which has been labeled as the “claims backlog”. By the end of 2012, the claims backlog had reached over half a million claims. The VBA has implemented a Transformation Plan that hopes to solve this problem by the end of 2015. This report will discuss the veterans disability claims system and the role of human resources in the plan to eliminate the disability claims backlog. Keywords: VA, veteran, disability compensation, claims, VBA VETERANS DISABILITY SYSTEM ...
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...Military Veterans From research studies, military veterans aren’t well compensated for their service in the military. Not only are they not well compensated, there were many combat soldiers coming home with anger issues, PTSD, depression, and other psychological problems. According to research, half of the homeless individuals are military veterans not just an opinion but it’s a proven fact. Veterans are often not honored, as they should be. Why aren’t they? Another question is why aren’t our veterans not well taken care of? No health insurance for veterans First, scientific studies show that working age veterans don’t have health insurance. According to Genevieve Kenney, a senior fellow with the Urban Institute and co-author of the report...
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...* Skip to section navigation * Skip to page content OBJECTIVE ANALYSIS. EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS. Site-wide navigation * About * Support RAND * Newsroom * Events * RESEARCH * LATEST INSIGHTS * POLICY EXPERTS * CAPABILITIES * GRADUATE SCHOOL * 中文(简体) * Sign In ------------------------------------------------- Top of Form Bottom of Form RAND > Published Research > Research Briefs > RB-9336 > Invisible Wounds Mental Health and Cognitive Care Needs of America’s Returning Veterans RESEARCHHIGHLIGHTS View the print-friendly version: PDF (0.2 MB) Key findings: * Approximately 18.5 percent of U.S. servicemembers who have returned from Afghanistan and Iraq currently have post-traumatic stress disorder or depression; and 19.5 percent report experiencing a traumatic brain injury during deployment. * Roughly half of those who need treatment for these conditions seek it, but only slightly more than half who receive treatment get minimally adequate care. * Improving access to high-quality care(i.e., treatment supported by scientific evidence) can be cost-effective and improve recovery rates. | Since October 2001, approximately 1.64 million U.S. troops have deployed to support operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Many have been exposed for prolonged periods to combat-related stress or traumatic events. Safeguarding the mental health of these servicemembers and veterans is an important part of ensuring the future readiness...
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...In the United States, suicide rates of veterans have been increasing for the past 15 years, driven in part by the increase in the number of people who have served. There has also been an increase in the suicide rate of the women who have served since 2001. Veterans are also more familiar with using firearms and are, therefore, more successful in there suicides. Many veterans suffer mentally and physically during and after serving our country. Some veterans develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (“PTSD: National Center for PTSD”). Finding help for veterans will reduce suicide rates. The problem with these suicides is that they can be prevented with the right treatments and therapy. Suicide rates will continue to rise until steps are taken to get these veterans the help they need. The Veteran’s Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention can partner with and provide information to the health care providers in order to reduce these suicides. (“Suicide.” National Institute of Mental Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)...
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