Angelleque Troyner EDU 1400-004 Veteran Issues

When doing all of my research I have found that the current trauma the plagues are veterans are more mental then physical. While most of the time physical injuries and mental injuries can go hand in hand, many Veterans become disable just by the many mental injuries that can occur or have sustained injuries or trauma while engaged in military service. They include traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and many have shown symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and substance misuse or abuse. The estimates of the these conditions among service members who served in just Iraq and Afghanistan range from 19.5 to 22.8 percent for mild TBI, 4 to 20 percent for PTSD, 5 to 37 percent for depression, and 4.7 to 39 percent for problematic alcohol use. Rarely is it just one of these that our servicemen and servicewomen suffer from its usually a combination of most if not all. Over all an estimated amount of veterans who have had difficulties readjusting since they returned home is at 44%. Service members do have access to the VA hospital to help with medical needs, but as so many people come in their doors with it, treatment is more of a one size fits all when it should really be more personal then that. Many veterans are put on medications and then not seen again for a while. While others are put on some and it causes more depression and they feel like there is no help, and get discouraged. Now the VA covers the cost of seeing therapists, but again its hard for veterans to fine a therapist that is covered by the VA. Many Veterans have to travel to another state to get the help they need. This shouldnt be the case. They should have more options available to our veterans, so that many dont feel lost and forgotten (even if they do have a family, no one can understand what they went

through during their deployment). There is an inadequate and untimely clinical follow-up and
low rates of delivery of evidence based treatments, especially therapies to treat PTSD, depression, and substance use disorder. There are limited data documenting which treatments patients receive or whether those treatments were appropriate and timely. The best way veterans can begin readjustment into normal everyday life is to have help readily available to them. Strong, supportive families help with service members resilience to the multiple stressors associated with combat and aid in troops successful readjustment upon return. More effort is needed to identify, develop, and test new prevention and treatment interventions specifically designed to meet the unique challenges faced by military families.