More than Half of Veterans from Iraq & Afghanistan Wars Face Mental Health Condition, More than One-Third Have Post Traumatic Stress
Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) announced the Senate unanimously passed a bipartisan resolution to designate June 2014 as National Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Month.
The resolution aims to raise awareness about the challenges many veterans with post-traumatic stress face, and reduce the stigma associated with it to help encourage more employers to hire these veterans and help them transition. Since 2001, more than half of all veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars treated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) have been diagnosed with at least one mental health condition, and more than one-third with post-traumatic stress.
“With many of our veterans facing the aftereffects of war, this resolution will help to highlight a problem facing many of our men and women in the armed services,” said Senator Casey. “I’m proud to join this bipartisan group of senators to recognize the challenges many of our veterans face, and to raise awareness of PTSD and other mental health issues.”
The bipartisan resolution is sponsored by Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), and cosponsored by Senators John Hoeven (R-ND), Mark Begich (D-AK), Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Dean Heller (R-NV), Al Franken (D-MN), Mark Warner (D-VA), John Boozman (R-AR), Mike Johanns (R-NE), John Walsh (D-MT) Mike Crapo (R-ID), Patty Murray (D-WA), Tim Johnson (D-SD), Ben Cardin (D-MD), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR).
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