Letter to U.S. Department of Defense Secretary Robert Gates
Letter
Letter to U.S. Department of Defense Secretary Robert Gates
Cornyn Urges Sec. Gates To Review New Study Indicating 1 Of 5 Returning Troops Suffers From Mental Health Conditions
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, hosted a conference call Friday, April 18, with Texas reporters to discuss a troubling recent report indicating 1 in 5 U.S. troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan now suffers from depression or stress disorders and that many are not receiving the proper care. The study, conducted by the Rand Corporation, also reports that of those troops suffering from mental health problems, only about half have sought treatment and even fewer of those with head injuries have seen doctors.
Sen. Cornyn announced he has sent a letter to U.S. Department of Defense Secretary Robert Gates, urging him to carefully review the study and report back to Congress on whether Pentagon records confirm the Rand report, and if so, what more must be done to ensure the necessary attention and resources are being applied to research and treat these increasing conditions. The full text of Sen. Cornyn's letter is below.
Sen. Cornyn also discussed legislation he cosponsored, the Dignified Treatment of Wounded Warriors Act, which was wrapped into the Fiscal Year 2008 Defense Authorization bill and signed into law on January 28. This new law takes several steps to improve the health care and benefits for recovering veterans, troops, and their families. Of note are provisions that expand the treatment and research for traumatic brain injuries, post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic eye injuries, along with a guarantee that combat veterans who request mental health evaluations receive them within 30 days from their request. Sen. Cornyn is hopeful Sec. Gates will provide an update on how this new law is assisting returning troops with brain injuries and mental health conditions.
To listen to the audio recording of Sen. Cornyn's conference call, click here: http://src.senate.gov/public/_files/radio/cornyn4_18_08.mp3
Text of Sen. Cornyn's letter to Sec. Gates:
Dear Secretary Gates:
I write today to ask for your help in addressing the issue of mental health care for our Iraq and Afghanistan combat veterans. This week, the Rand Corporation published a study entitled, "Invisible Wounds of War," which shed light on the nature and scope of the mental health challenges facing the more than 1.6 million Americans who have answered the call to serve on these far-off battlefields since October 2001.
Prolonged exposure to a combat environment, over multiple tours for some troops, has clearly taken a psychological toll. An estimated 300,000 troops, or approximately 19% who have deployed to these theaters of combat, currently suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or major depression, and 320,000 experienced a probable traumatic brain injury (TBI) during deployment, according to this study. Undoubtedly, these unseen wounds have emerged as a signature health problem for these troops. Without proper diagnosis and treatment, PTSD and TBI can have long-term destructive consequences. Failure to provide prompt and quality treatment leads to increased risk of suicide, family problems, and often abuse and homelessness. The costs in the long-term are high.
Further, the study points to distressing gaps in access to care and quality of care for our troops and veterans. While the ability of the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs to respond to our returning troops' and veterans' mental health issues has certainly grown over recent years, the study finds that "only slightly over half received minimally adequate treatment." I find these statistics troubling and call your attention to the need to direct more resources and provide more personnel to address these shortfalls. In addition, I ask you to examine the possibility of expanding access to and use of civilian mental health care providers. Lastly, I ask that you look at current policies to determine whether they sufficiently encourage our military personnel and veterans to seek needed mental health care.
I shared similar concerns with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, James Peake, in a recent letter regarding our veterans and their mental health care. As I know you agree, the Americans who answer the call to serve are a national treasure. I remain in awe of their selfless sacrifice and commitment to the defense of freedom. Our next "greatest generation," currently returning from the combat theaters of the Middle East, deserves the finest care available.
I urge you to review this recent study and carefully consider its recommendations for improving the mental health care of our wounded warriors. Thank you for your service to our nation and your tireless dedication to its Armed Forces.
Sincerely,
JOHN CORNYN
United States Senator
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