Mullen calls for better PTSD care

Mullen calls for better PTSD care

By Hugh Lessig

247-7821

11:42 p.m. EST, November 4, 2009


NORFOLK — As a combat medic in Iraq, Megan Krause had seen plenty.

When she came home, she thought her mental state was fine.

"We're medics," she said. "We're supposed to know the signs and symptoms of depression."

She misdiagnosed this case.

The reason for that failure — and her subsequent success — provided a real-life lesson for attendees of a Pentagon-sponsored conference on improving the resiliency of today's warfighter.

The two-day conference, which ended Wednesday, featured an address by the nation's top military officer, who called for better coordination of mental health services as individuals move from active-duty to veteran status.

Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, weighed in via audio link to address the conference and take questions.

"Our problem is stove-piped," he said.

He called for better coordination of services between the Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs and the general public.

"We're not very well-connected across these three areas," he said.

Many discharged veterans know little about VA services, and many groups across the country "would go out of their way to help their veterans" if they knew how and where to help.
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