Military Families Hit Pentagon On Response To PTSD And Suicide

WASHINGTON -- Blue Star Families, an advocacy group for military family members, released a report Wednesday that says a high percentage of service members are avoiding treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder due to doubts about the military's support system.

"Sixty-two percent of respondents who felt their service member had exhibited signs of PTSD, regardless of any official diagnosis, did not seek treatment, demonstrating there is a still much to be done to help service members and their families cope of the invisible wounds of war," said the group in a statement accompanying the survey, which polled about 4,000 military family members. Only 35 percent of those polled said that the service member in their family had sought treatment.

Some of the respondents also said that despite efforts to encourage service members to seek treatment, military culture still views PTSD as a sign of weakness that could derail promising careers for soldiers.

"The Army is changing and it gets harder and harder to stay in," said one respondent. "If our soldier were to be actually diagnosed with PTSD, we know it could affect his career."

Another family member said that "seeking counseling is often seen as a weakness to a soldier in a leadership position, and is often accompanied by a negative stigma." Others charged that commanders are still unresponsive to the needs of service members who want to seek treatment.

Such fears were compounded by the belief that soldiers seeking treatment are not able to do so privately. Eighty-six percent of family members said that "lack of confidentiality" led soldiers to avoid treatment. Fifty-eight percent ignored the symptoms that their families had observed.

The family members themselves did not fare any better in combating mental health issues, according to the survey. It found that "the percentage of family members who have considered suicide (ten percent) is almost equal to the percentage of service members who have considered suicide (nine percent). Forty-two percent of respondents felt that the Department of Defense was handling the issue of suicide poorly."

The Pentagon pushed back at suggestions that it has been unresponsive to the needs of service members. Cynthia O. Smith, a Defense Department spokeswoman, said the military emphasizes that "reaching out is an act of courage and strength" and that it provides a wide range of treatment and support options.

"No military in the history of the world has done more to identify, evaluate, prevent and treat the mental health needs and concerns of its personnel than the Military Services of the United States," Smith said in an email.

Despite the low numbers on PTSD treatment, the issue was only the fifth-most important issue for military families in the survey. Concerns over changes to retirement benefits topped the list, with pay and benefits second.

Read the full survey below:

Blue Star Families 2012 Military Family Lifestyle Survey Comprehensive Report

Comments

[Dayton Douglass]

10:28 AM on 05/11/2012

Our troops deserve anything and everything our country can provide them. They went to war to ensure the freedoms of people we will never see or care about, because the government told them to. When they come home, I hope to God they have jobs waiting for them, as well as adequate medical care for the wounds they have had inflicted upon them. Which is more than the rest of us can expect our country to provide us.

God Bless the Troops!
Come back alive!

[stephanieurankar]

11:51 AM on 05/10/2012

The ruling Monday that overturned the demand to overhaul the VA mental health system (because the 9th circuit court of appeals stated that they would need an order from Congress or the President to do so), is what prompted me to create a petition on change.org.

https://www.change.org/petitions/overhaul-the-va-mental-health-system-and-protect-our-troops-and-veterans

Our vets are dying at reported rates of 1000 a month. They wait for months to years to receive inadequate care and to have claims processed. Our vets deserve so much more than this. It's horrifying - and time we urge the President and Congress to make a change.

[Taninthesummer]

06:43 PM on 05/09/2012

Our soldiers are fast-becoming a forgotten population. We (ALL Americans) owe a debt to Blue Star Families for advocating for our warriors! I'm in the mental health field, and see the results of acute stress and PTSD on soldiers and the people who love them too frequently.

[exile]

06:29 PM on 05/09/2012

"No military in the history of the world
has done more to identify, evaluate, prevent
and treat the mental health needs and concerns of its personnel
than the Military Services of the United States," Smith said in an email.

AGENT ORANGE comes to mind
liars

[AskandThink]

06:18 PM on 05/09/2012

Personally I have always suspected it is the combat specialists who do NOT develop PTSD who are truly nutty….
; )

But the real problem I suspect is lack of engaging employment and PTSD help on the home front as a viable alternative to returning for a stable but high cost paycheck doing a task of love.

[Adrienne May]

05:12 PM on 05/09/2012

It is such a hard subject, for military service members whose entire careers and lives have been centered around the military risk being discharged for admitting that they may have PTS or other mental health problems. We cannot very well re-deploy soldiers with PTS and many service members with severe mental or emotional health problems should be medical discharged... but trying to get that service member to admit to a problem, to seek help while knowing the consequences, much less the stigma associated with it.

[RealPolotik]

04:35 PM on 05/09/2012

I understand the service and sacrifice that goes into serving in the US military. However, the US military is a volunteer fighting force. One knew what they are signing up for, especially if one signed up to join the military after 9/11. One knew they would be put into harm's way. What did one expect to happen, it is for war; not a video game. And yes there should be a much better way of dealing with Vets as they return back from fighting abroad. However, the fact remains all service members signed up to go to MENA and spread democracy or freedom or w/e we are calling it these days. Yes, the PTSD is tragic and so are injuries. But I just cannot get past the fact that there is no draft, no one was forced to go there and fight..anyone care to add a perspective feel free. I am not condoning service members just observing that the US military is volunteer....

[exile]

06:38 PM on 05/09/2012

"One knew what they are signing up for"

stupid, typical remark

[randomperson13]

04:06 AM on 05/11/2012

well if they did not VOLUNTEER to fight for you perhaps one day you would be forced to fight for your rights to state how you feel about the military on the internet. i mean i am just stating if no one VOLUNTEERED. Never forget these are people that are willing to put themselves in harms way to protect your rights to say what you want and for me personally i dont know if i would have the guts to do so. They deserve respect for that not apathy. .

[RealPolotik]

10:06 AM on 05/11/2012

How exactly is the Military protecting me in the Middle East, (Suadi Arabia and Pakistan is where many of the 9/11 hyjackers came from--they are our allies) protecting my oil interest, maybe. My internet freedom?? haha you're funny. The federal government just recently passed CISPA which takes away many of your rights on the internet..and yes I said they were VOLUNTEERS; any many of them were basically forced into service because of poverty not some sense of duty. Also, if someone was invading I would use my right to bear arms to the fullest extent.