VA Hid Suicide Risk, Internal E-Mails Show

Follow-Up Reporting On Exclusive Investigation Reveals Officials Hid Numbers

(CBS)  The Department of Veterans Affairs came under fire again Monday, this time in California federal court where it's facing a national lawsuit by veterans rights groups accusing the agency of not doing enough to stem a looming mental health crisis among veterans. As part of the lawsuit, internal e-mails raise questions as to whether top officials deliberately deceived the American public about the number of veterans attempting and committing suicide. CBS News chief investigative correspondent Armen Keteyian reports.

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In San Francisco federal court Monday, attorneys for veterans' rights groups accused the U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs of nothing less than a cover-up - deliberately concealing the real risk of suicide among veterans.

"The system is in crisis and unfortunately the VA is in denial," said veterans rights attorney Gordon Erspamer.

The charges were backed by internal e-mails written by Dr. Ira Katz, the VA's head of Mental Health.

In the past, Katz has repeatedly insisted while the risk of suicide among veterans is serious, it's not outside the norm.

"There is no epidemic in suicide in VA," Katz told Keteyian in November.

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Follow up: VA Struggles With Vets' Mental Health.
How we got the numbers behind the story.
VA Doctor on Veteran Suicides.
FYI: Suicide Risk Resources and Warning Signs.

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But in this e-mail to his top media adviser, written two months ago, Katz appears to be saying something very different, stating: "Our suicide prevention coordinators are identifying about 1,000 suicide attempts per month among veterans we see in our medical facilities."

Katz's e-mail was written shortly after the VA provided CBS News data showing there were only 790 attempted suicides in all 2007 - a fraction of Katz's estimate.

"This 12,000 attempted suicides per year shows clearly, without a doubt, that there is an epidemic of suicide among veterans," said Paul Sullivan of Veterans for Common Sense.

And it appears that Katz went out of his way to conceal these numbers.

First, he titled his e-mail: "Not for the CBS News Interview Request."

He opened it with "Shh!" - as in keep it quiet - before ending with
"Is this something we should (carefully) address … before someone stumbles on it?"

On Monday, CBS News showed the e-mail to Rep. Bob Filner, D-Calif., who chairs the House Committee on Veterans Affairs.

"This is disgraceful. This is a crime against our nation, our nation's veterans," Filner told CBS News. "They do not want to come to grips with the reality, with the truth."

And that's not all.

Last November when CBS News exposed an epidemic of more than 6,200 suicides in 2005 among those who had served in the military, Katz attacked our report.

"Their number is not, in fact, an accurate reflection of the rate," he said last November.

But it turns out they were, as Katz admitted in this e-mail, just three days later.

He wrote: there "are about 18 suicides per day among America's 25 million veterans."

That works out to about 6,570 per year, which Katz admits in the same e-mail, "is supported by the CBS numbers."

In an e-mail late Monday to CBS News, Katz wrote that the reason the numbers were not released was due to questions about the consistency and reliability of the findings - and that there was no public cover up involved.

[ksimon7]

thanks for this update. today in massachusetts is patriots day, primarily about the beginning of the revolutionary war and the battles at lexington and concord (as opposed to the marathon). as the aunt of an army lieutenant, and leader of a platoon returned from a deployment in iraq, i hope congress and the american people take the va & dod to task for their lies

[whinnone2]

I am an U. S. Army Veteran (Nam -ERA) I have been on psychy induced drugs since 1986. I have a diag. of 295.70 DSM-III psychychiatric disorder. I have been hospitalitized on and off in nunermerous V.A. and none v.a. hospital,through the U.S.A.They have denied me all cash benefits since day one,though i had no problem prior to military service.Go figure

[gce65]

CONGRESS: INVESTIGATE NOW!

OUR VETERANS DESERVE BETTER THAN THIS!

[pollroller1]

mikel1061 I am so sorry to hear this. I have talked to other vets who have told me similar stories. God bless you. I hope that somebody will get to the bottom of this problem.

[kansas1946]

Just Viet Nam all over again. Send our soldiers into a hell-hole, with no end in sight, without justification, and then cover up the damage you have done to them. The Bush adminstration is evil.

[rowdytexan2]

I hope they win their case, and didn''t get some bought and sold judge!

Get after these sorry bustwards!

[johnt--2008]

This is typical. The VA also fails to provide ''mental health'' patients with up-to-date medications. They lie because they mismanage. And to ''save money'' which is mismanaged in the first place. A top-to-bottom investigation needs to be done immediately, and anyone found mistreating/lying/mismanaging (etc.) needs to be fired on the spot, and brought to trial afterward.
Enough is enough.

[donbl1]

Are you sure you want government managed health care?

[gandalf4747]

The VA has many more suicides than reported. Veterans that are suicidal or make any noise are barred from the VA campuses by Federal Court and are issued no tresspassing warrants. Then they go home and die. I have seen this at the VA in Northhampton MA.

[randynason]

The VA''s head of mental health was "coerced" into lying about the suicide numbers? Gee- I wonder who works at the Pentagon that could be so devious and underhanded. Hey- Isn''t that where Donald Rumsfeld is hiding out, pretending to have resigned from the current administration? Hmmm...

[wogerwabbit]

Blame the military for your mental illness HA Whats next Lets blame the democrats for hemorrrhoids
Posted by gwno1

And what are your qualifications for making that statement? You obviously have no world experience and you certainly have never been in the military if you can say something as stupid as that. It pretty much shows that you''re completely unqualified to comment on this topic that you know nothing about, yet you insist on displaying your ignorence. If you feel that you must get involved in veteran care, go change the uniform of your G.I Joe doll... leave the heavy lifting to us vets and the rest of the adults. Make yourself useful and go outside and play.

[cbsblogger]

The Bush administration equates everything to money, and when that money is needed to help the lowly boots on the ground it is not given a priority. Cheney and Rumsfeld indicated that lack of priority 7 years ago.

Bushco wants the money saved and spent for high tech expensive systems that make the big corporate profits for his supporters.

Fixing and helping our troops and preventing suicides doesn''t make any corporate money for the mil-industrial complex.

[newsterl]

Oh well, of course they hid them, the more vets who kill themselves the less BENEFITS and checks the feds will have to mail out.

[cbsblogger]

Is this Ira Katz another unethical puppet neocon who has blatantly screwed America?

[bobnjersey]

[And it appears that Katz went out of his way to conceal these numbers. ]

that just couldn''t be ... he works for the government ... and they would never lie ... especially since there isn''t a single case in all of human history of a government *** others for their own gain ... including their own subjects. this would clearly be the first.

i''m sure that those responsible will step up ... take responsibility ... and all shortcomings will be brought to the highest standards. no need for any additional oversight or accountability should be necessary.

we clearly are lucky to be led by such honest, conscientious and committed leaders.

[rebelscout]

Of course he is blogger. He belongs to the Bush clan of theives.

[kansas1946]

Blame the military for your mental illness HA Whats next Lets blame the democrats for hemorrrhoids


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Posted by gwno1 at 07:34 PM : Apr 21, 2008
********************************************

Typical Republican? NOT supporting the troops. Fortunately, it sounds like you are in the minority here. Even the Republicans on this message board are supporting the troops. In fact, EVERYBODY but you and Bush are supporting the troops.

[rebelscout]

gwno1, isn''t it past your bedtime? You are another person who has NO concept of what war does to troops.

[p-syrus]

The one thing this report does not make clear is whether Dr. Katz is a Bush administration appointee.

What do you want to bet?

[byeneocons]

Republicans only care about troops as long as they are someone else''s kid, or dead, or fighting. Once they''re done, they are expendable to the neocons.

Bushie, you''ve done a heckuva job.

And thanks to all of you who put Bush in charge of our country. Things are really looking up.

[lynders65]

The story is so true...leave it to the military to cover up the facts. I am a mother of a Decorated Disabled Iraq War Veteran. Suicide is not the only thing we have to worry about as Americans, we have to worry about the PTSD Disorder. We the American people have no idea what are soldiers have gone through. Their fear is gone, they have faced all of the their fears. All of the things mentioned contribute to the suicide thoughts and eventually they do commit suicide. I can see how all of this is happening. My son was just 19 at the time and spent a year in the red zone and was in some of the biggest missions in Iraq. How sad, that when our soldiers arrive home we can''t even take care of them or cover up that they have problems that need to be addressed.

[timothyone-2009]

This is class warfare. The upper class, those screaming for tax cuts and against regulation use our young men in what is known as "America''s Armed Forces" to steal from others outside of our own country. Once these young men have been discharged they become less than valuable, they become a liability. It''s especially sad because many of these men and women continue believing that America cares long after they have been thrown away. Those who do see how they''ve been used and cheated are said to have mental problems.
We are much more like the old USSR than most would believe.

[byeneocons]

Dear Felixe:

How do you sleep at night knowing you are a low class internet pimp? Have you ever considered working for a living, instead of conning for a living? You might make more money.

[rebelscout]

This proves beyond any doubt where the priorities of the Bush administration lie. They only care how they look in the eyes of the people. If ANY report does not fit the"plan" then bury it and pretend it never happend.

[rebelscout]

Go away Felixe. This is the second site I have seen you trying to sell your wares!

[cyberus-2009]

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Go away Felixe. This is the second site I have seen you trying to sell your wares!

Posted by rebelscout
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As long as CBS refuses to police the spam rather than wait until X people report it ... this site will remain a spammers haven. Other web sites would have IP banned these people long ago, here they just ban the user, which means that it takes about 5 mins to reregister and respam

[montanaslick]

Gonna try to hold this to 1500 words. First off everything that the VA does is dollar driven, A DEAD Veteran is one that no longer drains their budget! That leaves them the money to charge on there gov''t credit cards such thing a luxury hotels, casinos bills and high end retail outlets such as Sharper Image. To the tune of 3.1 million dollars in 2007.

We have only to look at the Air Farces, Operation Ranch Hand study and the VA cover ups from those results. Ranchhand was a study of the effects of Agent Orange on Viet Nam Vets. Bet you didn''t know that there was Agent White and Agent Blue as well. To take care of the Veterans from, Viet Nam , Desert Storm and Iraqi freedom and Afganistan, would be budget breaking to the VA.

Filner is just paying lip service to the media. These are the guys that hold the purse strings. They are not about to let go with the necessary funds and if they did and it passed the Pres would veto it. This game dates back further than I can remember. That includes everyones favorite Kennedy and every President since Dem or Repub.

[nailonle]

The bravery of these men was exemplary and in the highest tradition of the U.S. Military. Thank "the universal life force/God/Allah/Jehovah/whomever" that we have such men and women. They did what they had to do to survive and to keep their brothers alive. I truly hope we are not wasting such men by sending such them into harms way in Afghanistan? How many of this type of American are our elected officials willing to sacrifice to win(?) a war of attrition? Have we learned nothing from our prior experience of sitting on the stove?

The real embarrassment is the one''s who sent them there. The "green berets" did not ask to be there. They were sent by politicians who seem to be lacking in necessary and sufficient negotiating skills, beyond "force," to achieve their goals. If the only tool you have is a hammer then everything must look like a nail. It''s embarrassing that we are so lacking in the necessary and sufficient "tools" of peaceful co-existance. Five thousand years of human history have given us 4800 years of war and conflict.

Beware the "true believer" . . . whatever that belief may be.

[lemonskink]

What do you expect from a country that promotes torture, attacks sovereign nations without just cause killing their woman and children, and treats so called prisoners with the same vengeance as the Nazi''s and Japanese in WW-Two. Vote Republican again fools.

[ontheleft]

The government would never lie to us, would they? lol

[lastdance116]

Lynne Cheney the Wife of : V.P. Cheney, Is on the Board of Directors of
The American Enterprise Institute :

In 2005, Republican Committee members from - The American Enterprise
Institute came before The Congress saying :
The Veterans Claim, on the PTSD issue were Fraudulent.
They urged the Congress to Stop the Treatment, of the Veteran for the PTSD issue.

They urged the Congress to stop paying the Veteran.
Compensation for the veterans claim of having : PTSD.

By 1980, five (5) years after the Viet-Nam war had ended.
The combination of suicide and suicide induced accidents.
Committed by the Viet-Nam combatant, was at fifty two percent. (52%)

Which means : That within five (5) years, after the Viet-Nam war had ended.
Over half of the Viet-Nam combatants. Who had survived the war and returned home.

Were now dead - By their own hand.
The Suicide Rate of : The Veterans of Iraqi, has already begun.

The issue of PTSD is being Scrutinized by the American Enterprise Institute.
They are saying : PTSD is a Liberal Hippie dream.
Lynne Cheney the Wife of : V.P. Cheney, Is on the Board of Directors.
(The American Enterprise Institute)

This is the Real Attitude of : The Republican (Nazi) Party,
Towards - The Combat Veterans of America

Criminal Corporate (Nazi) America - The Republican (Nazi) Party
The Nazi Bush - Nazi Cheney Administration''s
Gift of Patriotism - and - Appreciation
To the Combat Veteran and their Families

[nailonle]

You really are naive if you think any political party will make a difference. One candidate is ready to "0bliterate Iran" if they attack Israel.

They are all "True Believers!"

[element51]

It is so obvious that the VA guy us acting under the orders of Rumsfield and the boys. When it became public that our soldiers were not properly equiped Rumsfield''s reply was, "well, you go with what you''ve got". A response equal to Chaney''s, "so what". These guys see our soldiers as cannon fodder and once they have used them up they have no interest in seeing that the soldiers are cared for. Even while using them they let the soldier''s families go hungry. This is a bad bunch and if we can hang on just a while longer maybe it will get better. For Gods sake, McCain MUST have some feeling for our troops after what he went through in Hanoi. If he doesn''t do anything else but fix this he will be better than bush.

[donevis-2009]

Nuff said lastdance. Way to rub somes faces in the Bull Pile. Lets hope this story and angle are into the lime light of main stream media to gain some momentum before its silenced. "God Speed USA"

[prinzowhales]

Of course the VA is covering up...just the way Big Pharma and its pet media tries to do with the increase in suicides linked to anti-depressants. Now, combine this with the brain chemistry changes linked to vaccinations that increase the risk of suicide and the exposure to toxins which can have a synergistic effect. On top of this you have the decline that comes from adrenal exhaustion and real organic problems that elude a handy-dandy VA diagnosis that are treated as a mental health problem...so the real cause of the depression is not discovered and in typical Quack!Quack!Alopathic medical fashion the attempt is made to treat the symptoms....

...If you know anyone planning to join the military--be a friend--talk them out of it.

[ubrew12]

Well ''the first victim in war is the truth''
When are the American people going to realize that the Bush administration is at war with them (to judge by the routine misinformation and outright lying coming out of the admin)?

This Katz is following orders. As is the EPA about climate change, the USDA about meat and poultry safety, and FDA about drug safety, the Fed about overlending, the list goes on and on. Most of the admin''s statistics about the health of the economy are pure bunk, for example (the unemployment rate is twice what they''re quoting, for example).

We cant be rid of this administration soon enough. Truly sad to see our gallant soldiers paying the ultimate price and humiliation of suicide for their service.

[singingrick]

The VA is doing what so many government agencies are doing. They are trying to hide the true cost of this war in shattered lives and treasure.

[ringading3]

The mean spirted bosses at CBS hate Bush, and are doing their best to demean the military!

[ringading3]

Crazy mean spirited Bush haters are being ignored.

[rvn11bravo]

I learned that I meant nothing to the VA when they told me that I had a fatal illness with no treatment and had six months to live and to go home and get my affairs in order. Well here it is ten years later. There was a treatment... 20 MONTHS OF CHEMOTHERAPY. I made it through. I also found out where I had gotten this fatal illness. I got it from the GammaGlobulin shot (to protect me from Hepatitis) I got at Tigerland at Ft Polk Louisianna in 1967. Hepatitis C. I had it thirty years before the VA told me I had it.

I had a stroke and I went to the neuro-psychiatry to see if I lost anything. I could hardly believe that the doctor''s main concern was my "overly theatrical moustache", I have had a handle-bar moustache since 1970 proudly to show my Cav history and anyone with a military experience should know about The Cavalry, Old Bill and handle-bar moustaches. How would any Cavalryman ever get to Fiddler''s Green without one? You can be a Marine, a Sailor, a Pilot or a Grunt, but if you ain''t Cav, You Ain''t ***.

That is the way the VA mentality is. They thrive on their mamby-pamby job''s power. I fired my last VA doctor, the one that thought my wife wasn''t a human being because she was a female. That doctor was from India. They are out sourcing the VA to foreign doctors.
I no longer go to the VA for medical help. Sure my medicine isn''t $2.00 but I feel safer.

Fire ''em All, Let God sort them out.

Garry Owen Sir!

[apprxam]

Heck, the VA is still fighting the Vietnam Veterans regarding STSD and Agent Orange. All these presidents and congresses and nothing but protection of Monsanto and non for the troops. They built a wall to shut them up and show a softer side.

All of these signing statements by Bush, Cheney''s assertions about the return to supremacy of executive powers and seven years of bullying and breach of law, precedent and principles and not once did they bulldog a proper VA/DOD servicemember friendly policy.

Let''s keep "Supporting the Troops." America! I''m sure we''ll feel better someday; soon.

[apprxam]

What is needed is another "Bonus Army" March on Washington, before BuShit leaves office, hanging Rumsfeld and Cheney in effigy.

Persian Gulf I, Iraq and Vietnam Veterans, together stressing medical, mental and financial care due these brave men and women.

Also, these vets should start new and seperate VFW association apart from those who continue to entertain Bush/Cheney to spew their war-without-plan speeches and forums. It is fine for them to support their choice of president, but they shouldn''t allow themselves to be used for propagandizing the American people with false hope and purposes with no policy push to take care of all veterans of war.

HORRIFYING, BUT ..WHAT IS NEW!!! We have been subjegated and PUNISHED by a VP whom represents everyone associated to Haliburtin, Criminal TORTURE, and whom himself responds "SO" when refenced to that which the citizenry feels/thinks/states; coupled with a President (in title anyway) whom could care less than zero for anyone or anything that does not have "oil" in its name; and now this .. yet ANOTHER daily piece of EVIDENCE that the US has been HIJACKED and LIED to by this "compassionate conservative" Administration. Did not Bnedict Arnold attempt to install this type of Administration back in the 1770''s? Where do these "people" (if you can call DRACULA "people") get off?!?! As we find each and ever hour of each and every day ..LIAR''S..and continually proven to be such!! Anyone whom can''t get over the interim "fights" within the Democratic Party and then succeed in voting OUT the Republicans, whom offer us.. LIES; WAR; CHEATING; WAR; VOTER FRAUD; WAR; WORLD WIDE FOOD SHORTAGES; WAR; OIL PRICE GOUGING; WAR; UNCONTROLLED GLOBAL WARMING; WAR; POVERTY - for all but the top 1%; WAR; WAR; WAR; and W A R!!

THESE ARE our REVERED VETS - GOD HELP US ALL. A TRULY United States would rise up against this type of Veterans Treatment, lest alone that which we shall all suffer for years to come from!!!

THANK YOU ALL VETERANS OF AMERICA. MAY GOD TRULLY BLESS YOU AND FIND A WAY TO OVERCOME THE WORK AGAINST YOU BY THE SO-CALLED COMPASSIONATE CONSERVATIVES!!!

[apprxam]

The American Enterprise Institute, the Heritage Foundation, Rand, etc. don''t care about people, they care about business and profit. War is as political as its profits. Men sent to Iraq to fight, not for oil, as they say, but for freedom. I''m sure Syria and Uzbekistan can use freedom. Hell Detroit and Baltimore would like some. Iraq has two things, dirt and oil. Which is so important as to feel the need to force "freedom'' upon them and not the others?

[stn_sage]

In an e-mail late Monday to CBS News, Katz wrote that the reason the numbers were not released was due to questions about the consistency and reliability of the findings - and that there was no public cover-up involved. (fm article)
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We see the standard Bush administration official modus operandi---that is, when caught in-a-lie, continue to lie to get yourself out-of-it!

Someone should be filling out the warrant for Dr. Katz''a arrest! Not only has he violated the law, he''s violated his oath as a doctor---''to do no harm''!
Well?!

[ontheleft]

Covering things up? hiding things? lying? Sounds like Bush appointed the "right" people in the VA.

[ma203]

My first psych doc at the VA, who I could barely understand, told me I was a child abuser because I had my son circumsized. That was fantastic for an abuse survicor and gang rape victim to hear - it made me feel so much better about myself, LOL - the VA is not worth the nothing it costs to go there and be treated worse than cattle heading to the slaughter house. If you have pain, you will hooked be on methadone before they diagnos why you are hurting. If you have mental illness, they will use you like a crash test dummy for "new" medications until you really do lose it. I should NEVER have trusted them after an ER doc sent my father home saying he had "gas" - a few days later he died of a massive heart attack. So, in closing - the VA''s solution to any problem is to throw a pill at it and hope YOU go away by either giving up on "the system", dying, or committing suicide - either way, you are one less body for them to "deal with" and one less check they have to send out.

[samrensho]

Heck of a job, Katzi.

[watcher269-2009]

VA Hid Suicide Risk, Internal E-Mails Show

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Of course they did - GOD forbid Americans really know what is going on in this War and Country!

The News Organizations are also compliant in this cover up by NOT fulfilling their journalistic responsibilities to uncover these cover ups and by just accepting Bushit''s word on everything!

It''s is time to hold all of these people on TREASON charges! Charge them with TREASON and watch how fast things return to the TRUTH!

[neoconrcrazy]

"VA''s latest data do not demonstrate an increased risk of suicide among OEF/OIF veterans compared to the age and gender matched American population as a whole. Nevertheless, one suicide among those who have served their country is too much. "

Dr. Ira Katz, Congressional testimony


If we dig a little deeper we''ll probably find Katz is an ardent neocon-bush war supporter.

Maybe even a pro-israel lobby member - who knows.

In any case, this snake, like all of them in the bush disaster administration, will stop at nothing to hide the TRUTH from the American people.

Why are suicide rates so high?

Because soldiers are human beings asked to do a difficult job and if they aren''t able to justify in their own minds the slaughter in iraq, they suffer.

Support our troops, bring ''em home. Americans fight for their freedom, not for oil, not for israel, and not for neocon pre-emptive war !!!!