Date: 2007-01-23
Speaker: TIM MURPHY (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Pennsylvania

Mr. Speaker. over 17 percent of soldiers returning from Iraq. higher than any other measured military conflict. meet the criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder. or PTSD. Predeployment mental health screening. availability of treatment. perception toward treatment and public attitudes of the soldiers actions all affect .the vulnerability and prognosis for this disorder. PTSD is a severe anxiety disorder that develops after a traumatic event involving physical danger. It is also called "shell shock" or "battle fatigue" in other wars and is particularly prevalent among soldiers who have experienced wartime combat. Symptoms. can include insomnia. irritability. inability to concentrate. panic. terror. dread. despair. grief and include daytime recollections. traumatic nightmares or combat flashbacks. Most persons exposed to severe trauma do not develop symptoms. Onset can be immediate but more commonly occurs from a few months to years after the event. Currently. the Department of Defense provides mental health services for 180 days following discharge and the VA offers its health care services. including mental health. to veterans at no cost for 2 years following discharge. Afterwards. veterans may continue to receive mental health treatment but are subject to copayments. Unit support while still deployed helps reduce symptom risk. Once soldiers return home these supports end. but ongoing support is essential to reduce the risk. from families. friends. veterans. the VA and our society as a whole. Many with early symptoms of PTSD. however. isolate from social contact and do not benefit from these supports. In the current war in Iraq. unlike Vietnam. society as a whole is generally able to separate support for the soldier from support for the war. However. as criticism for the war increases and the public questions the purpose and outcome of this war. a significant question remains as to the impact upon the soldiers mental health of these expressions of doubt. For those at risk for PTSD and since hopelessness may raise the risk. societys comments of the situation may increase the soldiers sense of personal blame and lead the soldiers to question if they did their job well. Or they may develop a sense of worthlessness and guilt that their fellow soldiers lost their lives for a cause that was not supported by the country. Further research must be done to explore this link. but it also raises an important issue. Not only is there a concern for a stigma for the war action itself but also getting help. The majority of soldiers who need treatment for PTSD and mental health symptoms do not seek help for fear of being seen as weak. for fear of being treated differently by their commander. or fear of future harm to their career. Pictures. commentary and news coverage of this war affects not only recent combat veterans but extends to those oP prior wars. A survey of 70 Vietnam veterans stated that 57 percent reported flashbacks after watching reports about this war on television. and almost half faced sleep disorders. Mr. Speaker. there is a need for specialized military mental health services. As of May last year. of the 5 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan soldiers who may have been at risk. only 22 percent sought help from mental health providers. The rest sought help from primary care doctors. many with6ut mental health training. The National Defense Authorization Act of last year created the defense task force on mental health. Within a year. they are to submit a report to us with a longterm plan to improve the effectiveness for Armed Forces who have. experienced multiple deployments. But Congress can improve the Department of Defense referral process for mental health evaluations by psychiatrists/psychologists to better meet the needs of our troops. As chronic PTSD symptoms can continue for years. the VA should extend the 2year universal coverage period for mental health services for our Nations soldiers when they return from active duty and combat. And we need to study the effects of the 24hour media exposure on the occurrence of PTSD symptoms upon returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. Congress can also increase public awareness of PTSD to reduce the stigma for returning veterans and for them to take advantage of mental health services at the VA. Working together. we can ensure that none of our Nations veterans suffering with PTSD are left behind. but above all as Members of Congress we have to make sure that the things we do and say respond to the caveat to first do no harm.