VA Struggles With Vets' Mental Health

CBS News Investigates: Mental Health Numbers Reveal An Agency Under Siege

(CBS)  There were calls in the Senate today for the Department of Veterans Affairs to take immediate action to deal with the hidden epidemic of suicides among veterans.

That's after our CBS News investigation revealed that, in 2005 alone, 120 of those who have served in the military took their own lives every week - more than double the suicide rate for those who haven't served.

Now the question is whether the VA is willing or able to deal with it, CBS News chief investigative correspondent Armen Keteyian reports.

The failure of the VA to track the alarming number of suicides nationwide among those who have served in the military appears to be part of a broader pattern - and a bigger problem.

Veterans' rights advocate Paul Sullivan was a data analyst for the VA from 2000 to 2006.

"I don't think they want to know. We call it the "don't look, don't find" policy," he said. "The VA doesn't collect data, then they don't have to do anything about it."

The mental health numbers the VA does report reveal an agency under siege: 100,000 vets now seeking help for mental health issues. That’s 52,000 for post-traumatic stress disorder alone.

And now, in addition to these reports criticizing the VA’s treatment and spending practices come two more blows: of nearly 90,000 Army vets who served in Iraq in 2005 and 2006, a study released yesterday found 28.3 percent experienced mental health problems, while the report - due out tomorrow - says while veterans are 11 percent of the general population, they now make up an estimated 25 percent of the homeless.

"When you raise your right hand and put on that uniform, you assume you're going to be taken care of,” said Paul Rieckhoff, founder of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.

Reickhoff is an Iraq War veteran who says despite all of the good doctors and good intentions, “the VA system is not at all prepared. This country has not ramped up resources to meet this flood of people coming home.”

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Watch the first piece of the investigation.
FYI: Suicide Warning Signs and Getting Help.
The Data and Methodology behind this story.

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The VA recently responded to such criticism by opening a suicide prevention hotline, hiring thousands of new workers, including suicide-prevention coordinators at all it’s medical centers. But for those who have lost loved ones to suicide …

"We are deeply sorry to hear about any death," Katz said. "This is one of the most important things ever for us."

“I can tell you honestly, Dr. Katz, a lot of the parents I have talked to harbor enormous anger at the VA,” Keteyian said.

“One of the factors that led us to develop prevention programs that go beyond those available in any other health systems, is precisely those tragedies,” Katz said.

“We remake the Army after every war. We bring in new equipment. We bring in new weapons. We need to do the same thing at the VA,” Reickhoff said. “It doesn't matter where you stand on the war - we've got to take care of the warriors.”

[testvet]

The Bush administration does NOT want to count suicides of PTSD veterans as part of the war dead, it would make the death tolls grow to fast, if 160 a week are committing suicide as reported. This makes the DOD death counts pale in comparison from battlefield deaths, but the ugly truth is this war, is killing these veterans as much as the IED''s in Iraq and what are we as a ntion going to do to help them. The "Promise" that infamous "Promise that President Bush campaigned on in 2004, "A Promise Made Is A Promise Kept" it appears he lied...the facts speak for themselves yes I am a PTSD veteran of Nam era and Gulf War One

[Marcsr453]

First of all, the CBS story does not make it clear that its numbers include ALL veterans from All wars.
Second, according to CDC 32,000 people commit suicide in America every year and the majority of them are seniors.
To say that 22 of 100,000 of a group commits suicide is one thing. If that group is only 2-3 million people, but if the other group which has 5 to 6 people commit suicide is 190 to 100 million then something is not right.
Yes, veterans of war have many mental health issues and suicide is one of them. To sensationalize this plight in the interest of rating is something all together different.

There are many real tragedies in America that need attention, veterans suicide is one, waiting four years for a Social Security disability compensation claim hearing is another which one is worse?

[shortyinmo]

As someone who works in a VA I would just like to say unless you have walked a mile in my shoes....
There are a lot of things being done here for these pts. Suicide screenings are done with every pt. If the pt. is not truthfull and willing to help us help them what are we to do?

We offer counseling: one on one and group, drug and alcohol treatment as well as an inpatient stay unit for pt. who are suicidal. I am not saying this system is perfect, no system is but I for one do respect the men and women who come here after serving their country and would NEVER think of them as something to discard "like toliet paper". And if you ask around there are plenty of vets who are happy to recieve their services here.

This is just an unpopular war and people are looking for things to complain about. Go volunter at a VA or get a job in one before you rush to judgment!

[slim1h2o]

I am a veteran but I see no reason why veterans (politicians, CEO''''s, bums, janitors, whomever) should be provided health care that is any different than anyone else''''s health care.

Health care is health care is healt care. . . for whom is totally irrelevant.

Posted by tuckerndfw at 01:33 AM : Nov 15, 2007

Well said!

[Bobbyblues]

Why did it take this war to bring you people around to the problem. 100,s of 1000''s of Veitman vets have been dealing with this problem with the VA for years. Look what they are doing to the Blue Water Navy Veterans from the Veitnam war. The VA has denied them what was promised for years.

[andor3]

"... while veterans are 11 percent of the general population, they now make up an estimated 25 percent of the homeless. "

That is terrible. But there is more than that--there are organizations helping homeless vets. But there are many vets who do their best go back into normal life--with families, jobs, friends--but still have issues that they struggle with. Sometimes these men and women deal with terrible problems and put forth heroic efforts to keep it together, but all in private or silence. But we get clues--divorce rates, suicide rates, crime rates.

So it is not JUST the homeless vets that need a little help and assistance.

[andor3]

"From my perspective, ANY American who is suffering from mental illness should receive the same treatment as the president of the US, regardless who he is, his employment, education or military service status."

Yes and with vets it is not a charity or "feel good" issue or helping those who served--this is very much about the survival of ALL OF US the U.S. We NEED those returning vets as productive members of society--parents, entrepreneurs, employees, soccer moms, whatever they are called to do. We sent them where they had experiences that left many of them needing some help to step back into society.

I wouldn''t even call it mental health--that makes them sound crazy. Actually having reactions like post-traumatic stress is how NORMAL people react to overwhelming and unrelenting stress. It''s like they have an infection and need some antibiotics.

But we cannot, as a nation, afford to write off the huge number of people who are returning in need of help.

[micma-2009]

And now, in addition to these reports criticizing the VA%u2019s treatment and spending practices come two more blows: of nearly 90,000 Army vets who served in Iraq in 2005 and 2006, a study released yesterday found 28.3 percent experienced mental health problems, while the report - due out tomorrow - says while veterans are 11 percent of the general population, they now make up an estimated 25 percent of the homeless.

[mcv57]

I think George Washington may taken upon himself to short the Bushwacker right between the eyes for this miscarrage of government leadership.

[vermontvet]

As a Veteran I know the VA is doing what they can for our troops. One issue that no one wants to address is the shortage of mental health professionals. One of the reasons is that the VA social work services refuses and prevents Licensed Professional Counselors and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists to apply for Master degree level mental health positions. This limits the professional resources available for the VA. VA Social Work Services is placing thier profession over the care of Veterans like myself and the overall management and congress allows this to continue. I beg of someone (congress and/or the media) to conduct an indepth investigation of hiring practices and mental health policies/procedures. Veteran deserve the best and the brightest professional the VA can recruit!!!!