Letter to the Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs Dr. William Winkerwerder
Letter to the Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs Dr. William Winkerwerder
May 12, 2006
The Honorable Dr. William Winkenwerder
Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs
Department of Defense
Room 3E764
The Pentagon, 20301-4000
Dear Mr. Secretary:
We write to express our serious concern about the recent increase in suicides by Army personnel and to better understand the Defense Department's overall strategy to address our soldiers' mental health needs.
The number of Army soldiers who committed suicide last year increased to 87, an increase of 16 fatalities from 2004. The Army suicide rate last year was nearly 13 per 100,000 soldiers, the highest since 1999 and substantially higher than the civilian suicide rate of 10.8 per 100,000 people. This figure does not count recently-discharged servicemembers, who may be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or other mental health problems as a result of their service. This data is troubling not only because of the increased number of suicides, but also because the data suggests that we are falling short of meeting the needs of our soldiers with respect to the war in Iraq.
When the Army first conducted a study of mental health among our troops in combat in 2004, it was revealed that only one-in-three soldiers who had sought mental health assistance actually received the help that they needed. While we understand that the Army has taken several steps to increase the number of mental health professionals deployed to combat areas, the study also showed that half of the mental health professionals deployed by the Army did not have sufficient training in combat stress. In view of this, we would like to know what measures the Army and the other services have taken to increase pre-deployment training for mental health professionals, and what is the current the rate of assistance for soldiers in need of mental health counseling.
In addition, we remain concerned that the Army's post-deployment mental health screening is not sufficient. The Army's continued reliance on self-reporting of mental health concerns, as well as the stigma attached to mental health referrals, continue to limit the effectiveness of outreach efforts. Because self-reporting often results in under-reporting, what steps are the Army and other services taking to improve their mental health screening process for troops who are returning from a combat theater? Further, what measures are the services using to decrease the stigma - for soldiers and their families - often associated with mental health needs?
We share the common goal of ensuring that our nation's servicemembers and their families receive the mental health services that they need and deserve, and we appreciate your willingness to address seriously our previous correspondence on this issue. We look forward to hearing your views on these important questions. Thank you for your attention to this matter, and we look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
ROSA L. DELAURO JOHN P. MURTHA
Member of Congress Member of Congress
http://www.house.gov/delauro/press/2006/May/servicemembers_health_5_12_06.html