Mental health issues for vets

Bloomberg News

March 13, 2007

Almost one-third of the Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans who seek services at clinics run by the Department of Veterans Affairs have mental health or behavioral disorders, a study says.

The report was based on records covering almost 104,000 veterans. Of those, 25 percent were diagnosed with one or more mental health conditions, and a further 6 percent had "psychosocial or behavioral problems," according to the study. While the research fueled charges by a veterans' group that the Bush administration hasn't prepared adequately to treat returning soldiers, a VA spokesman took exception.

The findings suggest that psychological disorders may be one of the most enduring legacies of the almost 4-year-old Iraq war, said Paul Rieckhoff, executive director of the advocacy group Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. The organization, based in New York, wasn't involved in the study, which was published yesterday in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

"The mental health toll of this war is tremendous and growing," said Rieckhoff, a former Army lieutenant who served in Iraq. "Untreated mental health issues can lead to a predictable downward spiral: alcoholism, marital problems, drug abuse, unemployment, homelessness. It is a slippery slope." The administration led by President George W. Bush "has not planned adequately for the demand" for mental health services for veterans, Rieckhoff said. The White House press office referred a request for comment to the VA.

"We have taken - and will continue to take - steps to make certain our veterans receive comprehensive, accessible and compassionate care for their mental health concerns," said Matt Burns, a VA spokesman, in an e-mail yesterday. The VA has almost $3 billion in annual spending devoted to mental health services, according to the statement, and the agency employs more than 9,000 psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers.

The new study, the largest so far on the psychological effect of those conflicts on the soldiers, produced results in line with those of smaller studies.

This story ran on Newsday.com and azstarnet.com, the online service of the Arizona Daily Star.