State forms commission on veteran mental health care
April 18, 2008 01:55 PM
By Globe Staff
A day after the release of a study that found that nearly 1 in 5 veterans is suffering from depression or stress disorders, the Patrick administration announced that it had created the Commission to Study the Hidden Wounds of War on Returning Massachusetts Service Members.
“We cannot allow the brave men and women who serve our country to struggle with treatable mental health problems,” Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray said in a statement. “This administration is committed to ensuring that our veterans are cared for completely.”
A Rand Corp. study estimated that about 300,000 veterans among the nearly 1.7 million who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan have mental health problems. And more than half are slipping through the cracks, not getting necessary treatment, the study said.
When the Massachusetts bill was proposed last May, a legislative committee said that 28,000 service members had returned to the state and about 25 percent of them had faced “serious mental health challenges.” Governor Deval Patrick signed the bill two weeks ago.
Critics told the Globe last year that the system was vastly unprepared and underfunded to handle the onslaught of veterans returning home with mental health issues.
The death of an Iraq war veteran from Belchertown who took his own life after allegedly being turned away for treatment at the Northampton VA medical center also has been called a reflection of the problems with the system.
Experts say that soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan seldom find themselves safely "behind the lines." They can be subjected to mortar attacks, roadside bombs, and civilian massacres.
Representative Anthony Verga, one of the champions of the bill, said the commission could lead to Massachusetts becoming one of a handful of states with a comprehensive post-deployment care program for veterans and their families.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2008/04/state_forms_com.html
Just one more state finding a state of belief that PTSD is a lot more far reaching than they ever thought it would be.
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