PTSD visits up at Fort Drum

PTSD visits up at Fort Drum
Behavioral health visits among soldiers on Fort Drum are up by over 250 percent. The reason -- multiple combat tours as well as public awareness. Our Amy Ohler has more on a health summit where military and civilian health care providers, as well as state and local politicians came together to discuss the area's services.

Friday, April 25, 2008

PTSD visits up at Fort Drum
Updated: 04/24/2008 06:34 AM
By: Amy Ohler
FORT DRUM, N.Y. -- As soldiers continue to deploy, the rate of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder increases. Currently, about 200 10th Mountain Division soldiers are being treated by the behavioral health department on Fort Drum.

"Some folks come back stronger. Certainly there's a resilient population, a strong population and you know the data saying 'oh well if there's 30 percent coming back with some sort of mental health concern, that means 70 percent are not' so I would say a lot of them are coming back. I would say stronger, stronger marriages," said Todd Benham, Chief of Behavioral Health Department.

But those who don't come back stronger need adequate care. It's a topic that was discussed Wednesday among area health care providers and politicians.

"I think in the public mind, it often too much focuses on there's an engagement. There's a war. It's over and the problems dissipate. We need to build a system because Fort Drum is located here a system that has that capacity for the longer period of time rather than just time to the particular engagement that is in the forefront of minds," said Dennis Whalen, NYS Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services.

So is the area keeping up with the soldiers' needs?

"Yeah I think we're keeping up with the services adequately. Waiting lists have been reduced in the last year specifically because of an increased attention to staffing and increased capacity in our mental health clinics and inpatient units," said Roger Ambrose, Director of Community Services for Jefferson County.

But some say more still needs to be done, such as attracting additional providers to the area. It's something that will continually need to be assessed as the area continues to change.

Secretary Whalen said he thinks the Doctors Across New York Program that was enacted in the budget will help attract doctors to the North Country. He says also in the budget they decided to start to move dollars from the inpatient side to outpatient service, which will help to provide preventive care.

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