EAST HAVEN, CONN. – With nearly one?in?six soldiers returning from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan demonstrating symptoms of post?traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (Conn.-3) today called for improved mental health services for military members, their families and our nation's veterans at a press conference with VA employees, veterans and families of the 439th Army Reserve Quartermaster Company. DeLauro was joined by Kelly Beckwith, family services coordinator for the 439th, Dr. Steven Marans, director of trauma studies at Yale Child Study Center, and Linda Schwartz, Connecticut’s Commissioner of Veterans’ Affairs.

“Providing for our servicemen and women both on the battlefield and when they return home is a moral obligation of government,” said DeLauro. “Our country is seeing a large number of soldiers returning from battle with mental health conditions, even though significant advances have been made in the diagnosing and treating of post-traumatic stress in the field since Vietnam and previous conflicts. We must bridge that gap, which is why I will introduce the Military Mental Health Services Improvement Act.”

DeLauro’s legislation would ensure that troops get the mental health screening they need before deployment and after. The legislation calls for the Department of Defense to improve the mental health services available to servicemembers and their families, as well as improves coordination between the Defense and Veterans Affairs Departments in treating mental health cases. It would also allow recently deactivated Guard and Reserve members and their families to obtain mental health services through the TRICARE program and give colleges, universities and community hospitals the resources they need to help diagnose and treat combat stress in our troops.

“There are significant barriers to mental health care for our servicemen and women and their families,” said DeLauro. “This legislation provides common sense solutions to help improve access to mental health services and reduce the stigma to often associated with these services. It will ensure that soldiers’ homecomings are accompanied by any services and treatment they may need.”

Last month, DeLauro offered an amendment to the supplemental appropriations bill that would have increased mental health spending for returning veterans by $263 million, which included a 20 percent increase in spending on specialized post-traumatic stress programs within the Department of Defense and Veterans Administration, as well as for the care for PTSD symptoms – such as substance abuse and homelessness. It would have greatly increased staffing of mental health and PTSD clinical professionals in our VA system, as well as created a national PTSD information center.

PTSD follows a traumatic event in an individual’s life and is generally associated with feelings of intense anger, fear, frequent nightmares and flashbacks, and sleep deprivation. Oftentimes, PTSD victims fall into excessive use of alcohol and drugs as a way to self-medicate.

Currently, more than 160,000 men and women in the armed services are serving abroad in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Over 100,000 activated National Guard and Reserve forces engaged in the larger war on terrorism. More than 900 soldiers having been evacuated from Iraq because of problems related to mental health.

Last Wednesday, the Connecticut National Guard announced that the 242nd Engineer Battalion of Stratford was alerted for possible mobilization by Forces Command in support of either Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom.