Viewpoint: Improving health outcomes and quality of life for veterans

By Fay Farivar

Its difficult to know exactly how many of the two million people who have served the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in past 13 years have been afflicted with three common combat ailments; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), and chronic pain.

Studies have shown that people with severe mental illnesses die 25 years earlier than the general population, mainly due to poorly recognized and treated medical illnesses. Chronic pain and mental illnesses are highly prevalent problem among U.S. veterans and these problems can have a significant negative impact on their quality of life, families, and society as a whole.

It would not be an exaggeration to state that military veterans mental health is in crisis in the United States. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) reports that 60 percent of the total healthcare expenditure in 2010 was spent for the care of patients with PTSD or TBI. In patients diagnosed with PTSD, the first year treatment is twice more costly than each year after. Over 50 percent of veterans from the two recent wars have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injuries by military doctors. Doctors usually prescribe them anti-anxiety medication and strong painkiller without any immediate cognitive therapies. That could result in addiction to opiates, and in some cases worsening symptoms lead to lifelong disabilities or suicide.

There are numerous reports that the system is broken and veterans are not getting timely and quality attention or treatment that sometimes could potentially result in theirs or others death. It is time for an organized and collective effort to offer the best help and support to those that sacrificed their youth and well-being for the safety of their countrymen. Time is precious and they need proper help from a responsible source now, not in future.

The military, with extensive resourcesand funds, has to create and offer a complete, integrative, and comprehensive treatment model for veterans instead of letting them to navigate their path to their health and civilian life on their own with minimal broken support. There are some scattered and hard-to-find programs by the military, such as comprehensive soldier fitness (CSF), positive psychology and resilience training, posttraumatic growth plans, and 12-session integrated treatment for veterans with comorbid chronic pain and PTSD. It is a good start but not enough to help millions of our veterans that need help, yesterday.

Fay Farivar is a resident in Rancho Bernardo. She is a graduate student at University of Southern California, School of Social Work in San Diego. She has special interest in veterans mental health and would like to dedicate her career to helping them.

Short URL: http://www.pomeradonews.com/?p=48716

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Viewpoint: Improving health outcomes and quality of life for veterans