New Report Shows the Importance of Screening for Brain Injury

By Ginny Estupinian

On Thursday the Institute of Medicine released their report recommending that returning Iraq war  veterans be evaluated for traumatic brain injury.  Some 5,500 military personnel have suffered brain injuries ranging from mild to severe. These wounds account for an estimated 22 percent of all casualties in Afghanistan and Iraq.  This rate is twice the amount of the Vietnam war. Experts attribute this increase in part due to the advancements in on-site medical care and body armor that has increased the survival rate of ground troops. In the past a lot of these injuries would have killed these troops but due to medical advancements they now survive. The challenge is finding a way to treat the brain injuries.

Many of the brain injuries are a result of the high impact of roadside bombs. Veterans who have been involved in high impact blasts often complained of persistent, disabling symptoms like sleeplessness, dizziness, and confusion.  At times these disorders can resemble other disorders like post-traumatic stress which can complicate psychological assessments.

Post-military monitoring of these returning veterans is another important key issue. Researchers have observed a trend where people with brain injuries proceed for years in a stable condition and then suddenly suffer dramatic drops in mental and physical capacities.  Many medical professionals have found brain injury can manifest in more severe ways when a service member switches to a less structured lifestyle.

The National Guard announced that it has launched an effort to screen every one of its Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans. The only concern is that the people doing the screening are warning that it is a long process.

It is my view that the screening needs to be done and that processes have to be created to take care of our veterans. There is no other choice and ignoring the problem will not make it go away or diminish the pain suffered by these veterans.

New Survey Shows That 25% of Veterans Are Dealing with PTSD.

By Ginny Estupinian

Recently, the Central Connecticut State University Center for Public Policy and Social Research completed a survey of returning state troops. The survey clearly demonstrated that at least ¼ of those returning veterans met the criteria for being diagnosed for post-traumatic stress disorder.  Some of the problems that these returning veterans cited as most troubling included, problems with their spouse and partners, and difficulties “connecting emotionally with family”.  The survey further showed that about 19% of the respondents met the criteria that they are at risk for traumatic brain injury.  It is believed that the experiences of Connecticut veterans are similar to other veterans around the country. In fact, the Defense Department formed a task force in 2007 and found that about 38% of soldiers reported some mental health concerns in the months after returning from deployment.  The Defense Department report showed that the mental health concerns were as much as 49% higher for those veterans who had served as part of the National Guard.

If there is one thing that is indicative of these reports it is the sheer size of the need for mental health services that exists for returning veterans. We must remember that this is only a sample of the totality of mental issues that veterans are dealing with nationwide. The harsh reality is that our current system, in its present state, is not capable of tackling all these needs. More funding and research needs to be funneled to this very important issue. The value of these reports lies in begin able to bring to the forefront the gravity of the situation and allow for better understanding of what veterans are dealing with.

In a previous posting I discussed how law enforcement in some parts of the country are now looking at the disrupted behavior by veterans. By having an understanding that a veteran may be facing some mental health challenges it is allowing for emergency services to more effectively handle situations rather than assume that it is a criminal manner.

A bit of good news was announced this week by the Veterans Medical Center in Wichita Kansas.  The center is expanding its mental health department to accommodate the increase in post traumatic stress disorders by expanding its facility and the mental health staff.