Lag in mental health care found at a third of VA hospitals

Lag in mental health care found at a third of VA hospitals
By Gregg Zoroya and Paul Monies, USA TODAY

Veterans seeking mental health therapy at nearly a third of the Department of Veterans Affairs' hospitals must wait longer than the VA's goal of seeing patients in 14 days or less, according to a USA TODAY analysis of internal VA data.

The findings are in contrast to the VA's assertion that fewer than 5% of patients must wait too long to begin therapy with psychiatrists or psychologists.

The USA TODAY analysis follows concerns raised by scores of VA clinicians in an August survey that the VA does not have the resources to handle growing numbers of veterans with mental health issues. The survey showed that it takes about three to six weeks for veterans to begin mental health treatment.

"These numbers show that … in many communities, the VA is unable to give our veterans the timely access to health care they deserve," says Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., chair of the Senate VA Committee, who plans a Nov. 30 hearing on the issue.

The number of veterans seeking mental health care has increased since 2006 from nearly 900,000 to 1.2 million last year, according to a Government Accountability Office study. The number of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans in therapy increased from 35,000 in 2006 to 139,000 in 2010.
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