Shinseki Emphasizes Addressing Mental Health Issues Early

Shinseki Emphasizes Addressing Mental Health Issues Early
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 8, 2010 – Close collaboration between the Defense and Veterans Affairs departments, plus proactive military screening policies, are helping to identify and treat mental-health issues in returning combat veterans before they escalate into more serious, long-term problems, Veteran Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki told American Forces Press Service.

Shinseki credited Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates’ leadership in addressing mental-health concerns early, before they spill over into the VA health care system.

“We know that if we diagnose things like [post-traumatic stress] and treat it early, people generally get better,” Shinseki said. “That’s opposed to waiting until 20 years later, when a youngster comes in and says, ‘I have a problem.’”

Nearly everyone returning from a combat deployment has at least some symptoms of post-traumatic stress, Shinseki said. The trick, he said, is to deal with it before it becomes PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder.

“If we can diagnose and treat it, you never get to the ‘d,’ the disorder,” he said. “Because that’s what causes the problem. And the disorder oftentimes sets in later, after it goes ignored and unrecognized. That’s what we are trying to get beyond.”

Shinseki called the military’s mental-health screening process a big step in the right direction.
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Shinseki Emphasizes Addressing Mental Health Issues Early