Combat PTSD in the News

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More Must be Done for PTSD Vets, Panel Says
By Rick Maze
Army Times

Friday 25 January 2008

The head of a commission that spent 20 years studying veterans' disability benefits says the government needs to do more for those suffering post-traumatic stress disorder.

Testifying Thursday before the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee about a proposal for a comprehensive treatment, rehabilitation and benefits plan for veterans with PTSD and other mental disorders, the chairman of the Veterans' Disability Benefits Committee said current benefits could be described as "just paying people with PTSD to go away."

Retired Army Lt. Gen. James Terry Scott, whose 13-member commission issued its final report late last year, said the government needs a holistic approach that links disability benefits, treatment and vocational training, with an evaluation every two or three years of a veteran's disability to see if treatment is working.

A study done on behalf of the commission found that 31 percent of veterans with disabilities rated at less than 100 percent who receive bigger monthly benefits from the VA because they are considered unemployable have PTSD or other mental health disorders, a figure that could be reduced with better coordination between the benefits and health care arms of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

At the moment, the two VA divisions cannot even agree on the definition of "recovery."

Most veterans receiving disability benefits for PTSD and other mental health issues are from the Vietnam era, but Scott said VA needs to be prepared for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who seek counseling, treatment and benefits.

The idea of regular re-evaluations of a veteran's PTSD, especially for veterans considered unemployable and thus eligible for higher compensation, is controversial, but veterans groups appear to be warming to the idea that VA needs a more comprehensive plan.

Steve Smithson of the American Legion, who testified at the same hearing, said his organization supports the call for a combined treatment and benefits plan, but is "concerned that a mandatory re-evaluation every two to three years could result in undue stress."

Veterans with PTSD "may be fearful that the sole purpose of such a reevaluation would be to reduce compensation benefits," Smithson said, which is exactly the argument that led the VA to drop plans several years ago to review all PTSD cases.

Source: PTSD Vets

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Vets of Bush's Wars Sue the VA: 'More than Half of Wounded Troops Slipping Through the Cracks

A national class action lawsuit brought by Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans went to trial on April 21. The suit, known as Veterans for Common Sense v. Peake was brought by two veterans organizations who argue the Department of Veterans Affairs is systematically denying hundreds of thousands of wounded veterans needed medical treatment, while forcing them to wait months or even years for the disability benefits they've earned.

"We're dealing with people who are almost totally disabled; people who have lost arms, lost legs in these wars, people who have come home with post-traumatic stress disorder or physical brain injury," explained Gordan Erspamer, an attorney with the law firm Morrison and Forrester who is handling the case pro bono. "We can't have these people waiting for months and years for the treatment they need."

According to a study released last week by the Rand Corp., an estimated 300,000 veterans among the nearly 1.7 million who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan are battling depression or post-traumatic stress disorder. Another 320,000 veterans suffer from traumatic brain injury, physical brain damage that is often caused by roadside bombs.

However, the VA reports only about 300,000 Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans have received health care from the VA system -- about 120,000 for mental injuries. That means more than half the American service personnel wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan have slipped through the cracks.

Read the full article: Wounded Soldiers Slipping Through Cracks

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Blaming the Veteran: The Politics of PTSD

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) became part of the American vocabulary after the Vietnam War as its affects on veterans became widely publicized. Now, a new generation of American veterans are again victims of PTSD. This series explores the impact of politics on the funding, diagnosis and treatment of veterans suffering from PTSD. It examines the propaganda used to justify a reduction in benefits to veterans with PTSD and the effort to redirect blame for the ravages of war to the soldiers themselves.

Part I: Stacking the Deck - With trillion dollar estimates for the Iraq war, the Administration looks to cut costs, eyeing treatment for the returning PTSD wounded veterans.

Part II: Ration & Redefine - Redefining PTSD and substance abuse as moral/spiritual failings opens the door to cheaper unregulated, unlicensed faith-based "treatments."

Part III: Malign & Slime - Propaganda is used to stigmatize veterans seeking help, reduce benefits to veterans with PTSD and to blame the soldiers for their own illness.

See also: Trauma & Recovery - Judith Herman