Friday, April 18, 2008

On the heels of several reports that returning service members are reporting high levels of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, Maine Congressman Mike Michaud announced yesterday that he would hold a congressional field hearing in Sanford this Monday to discuss veterans’ health issues. (Sanford Town Hall, 919 Maine St.)

Despite a wealth of available resources, many soldiers do not seek help because they don’t understand the system, or because they are ashamed of their problems. It can be difficult, too, to access resources in a large, rural state like Maine. Monday’s hearing (which US Senate candidate Tom Allen will also attend, shocker) will focus particularly on rural, female, and special-needs veterans.

The more information Michaud collects, the better. After all, the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Health (which Michaud chairs) announced earlier this month that “the scientific evidence on treatment modalities for PTSD does not reach the level of certainty that would be desired for such a common and serious condition among veterans. Most studies included in the committee’s review were characterized by methodological limitations, some serious enough to affect confidence in the studies’ results.”

In other words, we’re still not sufficiently prepared to help veterans overcome these serious health issues. And we need to be.

4/18/2008 10:38:06 AM by Deirdre Fulton | Comments [0] |