| Veterans
News Flash 
US
Official Urges Mental Health Changes
By HOPE YEN, Associated Press Writer
Thu Jul 12, 8:14 PM ET
The Pentagon's top health
official said Thursday he wants to see better
mental health assessments, stronger privacy protections
and a "buddy
system" to change the military's stigma against
seeking help for anxiety and depression.
Speaking to Congress as the military rushes to
improve its much-criticized mental health system,
S. Ward Casscells, assistant secretary of defense
for health affairs, also acknowledged that the
Army's touted plans to hire 25 percent additional
mental health specialists may prove hard to fulfill
for awhile because of problems in recruiting and
retaining active-duty professionals.
"It's not easy to get people into the military," said
Casscells, referring to plans by Army Surgeon Gen.
Gail Pollock. "We cannot hire 200 Army psychiatrists,
which Gen. Pollock wants to do, we can't do that
overnight. So we need everyone to reach out and
look out for service members."
"It might mean if your buddy in combat is
staring off into space and not laughing anymore
at the dumb jokes, maybe it's a sign they might
need to go back to base, get three hot meals and
to talk to someone confidentially," he added. "I
don't expect we will have a perfect solution."
Casscells' comments came as the Pentagon and Congress
are reviewing 95 recommendations made last month
by a task force chaired by Navy Surgeon General
Donald Arthur. Issuing an urgent warning, the panel
found that more than one-third of troops and Veterans
currently suffer from problems such as traumatic
brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder
and urged stronger leadership, more money and a
fundamental shift in treatment to focus on prevention
and screening.
Separately, the Senate was expected to approve
measures this month that would make sweeping changes
to improve troop and Veterans care, such as requiring
the Pentagon and Veterans Affairs Department to
develop a comprehensive plan to treat mental disorders,
boost severance pay and improve family services.
The House is considering similar measures.
A presidential commission chaired by former Sen.
Bob Dole, R-Kan., and former Health and Human Services
Secretary Donna Shalala also was scheduled July
25 to release its findings and recommendations
for improving care.
"We would never blame someone who has broken
a leg or got cancer, yet we will blame people who
have a natural reaction to an incredibly stressful
situation," said Arthur, who also testified
Thursday before a House Armed Services subcommittee.
He cited soldiers who
must walk down the streets of Fallujah each day
with rifle in hand, knowing they could be gunned
down at any time. "Much
of this is a leadership situation. We need to have
leaders to say, 'That was a frightening situation.
I need to decompress.' "
Defense Secretary Robert Gates last month pledged
to fix problems and ordered that a corrective plan
be finished by mid-September. He is also supporting
a plan that would do away with the practice of
asking troops about previous mental health treatment
when they apply for a security clearance.
About 38 percent of
soldiers and 31 percent of Marines report psychological
conditions such as brain injury and PTSD after
returning from deployment. Among members of the
National Guard, the figure is much higher — 49 percent — with
numbers expected to grow because of repeated and
extended deployments.
On Thursday, Casscells said his team was still
analyzing the recommendations and formulating policy
proposals for Gates to review. But he indicated
a need for greater privacy, including possibly
shielding reports of mental health discussions
that service members have from line commanders.
In the meantime, the Army has launched an extensive
educational program on the stigma attached to mental
health problems to determine whether it can be
expanded to the other armed services.
SOURCE:
Yahoo News
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