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U.S.
Senator Member: Finance, Agriculture, Energy, Ethics and Aging Committees |
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For Immediate
Release January 26, 2007 |
CONTACT: Cody Wertz – Comm.
Director |
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Mental Health issues, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) affect thousands of our Nation’s veterans and service members returning from combat. However, it has become increasingly evident that some incidents of PTSD among our warfighters are not being properly diagnosed or addressed. The need for appropriate action by the Departments of Defense and Veterans’ Affairs is critical, especially given the uncertain duration of America’s ongoing military efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Today, United States Senator Ken Salazar renewed his call for a joint hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee regarding the government’s treatment of PTSD in our service members and veterans. In his letter today to Chairman Carl Levin and Ranking Member John McCain of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Chairman Daniel Akaka and Ranking Member Larry Craig of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Salazar wrote, “We continue to face serious challenges when it comes to addressing the effects of military service on the mental health of our Armed Forces. Despite the strides we have made in confronting these challenges, the problem is by no means solved and requires continued efforts on behalf of the military, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and Congress.” Those suffering from PTSD frequently suffer biological changes as well as psychological symptoms, often in conjunction with depression, substance abuse and other problems of physical and mental health, as well as social or family troubles, including occupational instability. However, these symptoms of PTSD are often easier to recognize than the disease itself. Meanwhile, as discharges due to personality disorders have risen substantially at some bases around the country, waiting times to see military mental healthcare providers are reported to be over a month long. “We all recognize that a tension exists between the pressure to field combat forces in a timely manner and the need to provide exhaustive and comprehensive care – particularly in the area of mental health – to our service members,” Senator Salazar wrote. “While the Senate would be remiss to ignore this tension, I firmly believe we can serve both objectives.” This is not the first time Senator Salazar, a former member of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, has called for such an investigation: In August 2006, Senator Salazar made a similar request for a joint hearing on PTSD. A copy of Senator Salazar’s letter to the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee can be viewed by clicking here. ### |
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