Many war vets' stress disorders go untreated

Many war vets' stress disorders go untreated
Posted 5/10/2006 10:59 PM ET
By Gregg Zoroya, USA TODAY
Only about one in five Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans who screen positive for combat-related stress disorders are referred by the Pentagon for mental health treatment, according to a draft of a report to be released today by the Government Accountability Office.

According to the draft, obtained by USA TODAY, the Pentagon told investigators with the GAO — the investigative arm of Congress — that it relies on screening and the "clinical judgment" of military medical workers who meet with each returning veteran.

Based upon the screening and assessment, military officials then decide who should received follow-up mental health care.

In the report, the GAO criticized the Pentagon for failing to specifically explain how it identifies troops who may be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Pentagon spokesman Terry Jones says military officials were reviewing the findings.

A leading Democrat on a House Veterans' Affairs Committee says the GAO findings proved that the Pentagon's health screening process is flawed.

"When 78% of the servicemembers who are at risk of developing PTSD do not get a referral for further evaluation, then it's clear the assessment system is not working," says Rep. Mike Michaud of Maine.

The military health screening process includes four questions to help identify combat-induced stress.

The questions relate to nightmares, severe memories that will not go away, feeling numb and being constantly on guard, watchful or easily startled.

Positive answers to three or four of the questions indicate a possibility of PTSD, the report says.

Of 9,145 servicemembers who returned from combat from 2001 to 2004 and answered yes to three or four of the questions, 2,029 — or 22% — were referred for mental health treatment, the report says. The Army and Air Force referred about 23% of their personnel who answered the questions positively; the Navy referred 18%; the Marines 15%.

"Knowing the factors upon which (Pentagon) health care providers based their clinical judgments in issuing referrals could help explain (these) variation in referral rates," the GAO report says.