IAVA Testifies Before HVAC Subcommittee on Health

March 11, 2008
IAVA Testifies Before HVAC Subcommittee on Health
Filed under: Mental Health, IAVA in DC, Testimony — Todd Bowers @ 3:54 pm
Today, I testified before the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Health on the issue of substance abuse and co-morbid disorders.

Among the hundreds of thousands of troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with a mental health injury, a small but significant percentage is turning to alcohol or drugs in an effort to self-medicate. Veterans’ substance abuse problems, therefore, cannot and should not be viewed as distinct from mental health problems.

According to the VA Special Committee on PTSD, at least 30 to 40% of Iraq veterans, or about half a million people, will face a serious psychological injury, including depression, anxiety, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD. Data from the military’s own Mental Health Advisory Team shows that multiple tours and inadequate time at home between deployments increase rates of combat stress by 50%.

We are already seeing the impact of these untreated mental health problems. Between 2005 and 2006, the Army saw an almost three-fold increase in “alcohol-related incidents,” according to the DOD Task Force on Mental Health. The VA has reported diagnosing more than 48,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans with drug abuse. That’s 16% of all Iraq and Afghanistan veteran patients at the VA. These numbers are only the tip of the iceberg; many veterans do not turn to the VA for help coping with substance abuse, instead relying on private programs or avoiding treatment altogether.
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http://www.iava.org/blog/2008/03/11/iava-testifies-before-hvac-subcommittee-on-health