Invisible Wounds of War
Welcome Back Veterans was founded to help our veterans cope with the “invisible wounds of war”—especially mental health challenges that may prevent effective re-entry into families and society. This is a national issue with profound ramifications, but one that most of us don’t recognize or understand.
In April of 2008, the RAND Corporation released a report titled Invisible Wounds of War: Psychological and Cognitive Injuries, Their Consequences, and Services to Assist Recovery. The RAND study makes a compelling case that our veterans need us now more than ever (the press release is available here).
The stunning conclusions of the report—from the broad reach of trauma like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD - across a wide spectrum of service members to the incredible emotional, physical, and economic damage of mental health issues—amount to a cry for immediate help.
The report weighs in at over 500 pages. We thought we’d offer you some highlights that make the case for shared action.
The report focused on three conditions as they relate to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan: PTSD, major depression, and traumatic brain injury (TBI). Results were based on a survey of 1,965 service members from across the country as well as a large-scale private assessment of all branches of the armed forces. It included members still serving, and veterans who have left the service. In addition to addressing issues such as PTSD, the report evaluates the cost of properly treating these individuals as well as the treatment capacity of our current health care system.
The report shows that “nearly 20 percent of military service members who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan - 300,000 in all – report symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder or major depression, yet only slightly more than half have sought treatment.” The study also revealed that a partially overlapping 320,000 service members experienced some kind of traumatic brain injury during their time of deployment in either Iraq or Afghanistan. These traumatic brain injuries can include something as mild as a slight concussion or, more serious, a severe penetrating head wound.
Not only have so many of our returning veterans been affected both physically and emotionally by the war, but the majority of them have not or do not report their symptoms, nor are they treated medically. Only 43% of the 300,000 with TBI (mentioned above) actually reported being evaluated by a physician for their injury. The RAND report recommended that a system be created that would provide service members with a level of confidentiality that would ease their concerns about negative career repercussions.
The responsibility does not lie wholly with the service members, however. Researchers also recommended that mental health providers create more opportunities for treatment and ways to monitor the effectiveness and relevance of that treatment: “While most civilian traumatic brain injuries are mild and do not lead to long-term impairments, the extent of impairments that service members experience and whether they require treatment is largely unknown, researchers said. In the absence of a medical examination and prognosis, however, service members may believe that their post-deployment difficulties are due to head injuries even when they are not.”
In addition to the life-changing effect these injuries can have on our returning service members, the extent to which this is happening is having a drastic effect on our already failing economy.
Treating cases of mild traumatic brain injury per year come to about $32,000 per case, while more severe injuries obviously cost more to treat. In all, estimates of the total one-year cost for treating the roughly 2,700 cases of brain injury range from $500 million to $900 million.
The report concludes, “The nation must ensure that quality care is available and provided to its military veterans now and in the future. As a group, the veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq are predominantly young, healthy, and productive members of society…. These veterans need our attention now, to ensure a successful adjustment post-deployment and a full recovery… System-level changes are essential if the nation is to meet not only its responsibility to recruit, pre-pare, and sustain a military force but also its responsibility to address Service-connected injuries and disabilities.”
The RAND report provides a stunning view of the mental health issues our veterans face – and the degree to which the public has underappreciated the intensity of the mental health crisis facing veterans. Every month, ten thousand young men and women come home from Iraq, Afghanistan, and other zones of conflict. They’ve served our country well, and have made sacrifices - of health, of family, of livelihood - that most of us will never have to make. Given their sacrifices – and the challenges they now face – we have a part to play. It’s our turn to step up to the plate and give.
Referenced Sources
http://blogs.thenewstribune.com/military/2008/04/17/p24559
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/04/ap_mental_041708/