The Issue

More than 85,000 soldiers from New York State have served in Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn; many of whom have been subjected to multiple deployments. As a result, an extremely high percentage of soldiers are returning home with significant mental health issues.  Trauma sustained in these combat operations, coupled with the affects of deployment(s) on families, is embedded within the unique context of military culture, and as such, often manifests differently among military populations than in the general public.  As a result, New York State is facing formidable challenges in serving the mental health needs of these new veterans. An assessment of the needs of New York State’s returning veterans and their families conducted by the RAND Corporation (January, 2011) underscores the magnitude of this issue, finding that “22% of returning veterans have a probable diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and/or major depression” and “34% of veterans self-indicated a mental health need.” The study also noted that “46% of veterans with a mental health need would prefer to receive mental health services outside of the VA system.” While a staggering “50% of all veterans seeking mental health treatment did not receive even minimally adequate care.”

Part of the problem in meeting the mental health needs of returning veterans is a short supply of mental health professionals who are adequately trained in identifying and addressing veteran-specific mental health issues. In an earlier RAND publication, Invisible Wounds of War, an analysis of mental health care for returning Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans, indentified the top barriers to mental health care as insufficient capacity of the mental health workforce, lack of specialty of care for veteran specific mental health afflictions, and service members’ reluctance to seek treatment due to stigmatization. The study’s recommendations include the provision of large-scale training for mental health providers about military culture and evidence-based treatment of PTSD and major depression.