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VA OIG REPORT: VETERANS AT HIGHER RISK FOR
SUICIDE --
Vets returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are at
increased
risk of suicide because VA clinics do not have
24-hour
mental health care available.
The full VA OIG report is available
here...
http://www.va.gov/oig/54/reports/VAOIG-06-03706-126.pdf
Story here...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05
/10/AR2007051001169.html
Story below:
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Review: Suicide Risk Higher for Veterans
By HOPE YEN
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON -- Veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are at
increased risk of suicide because Veterans Administration health clinics
do not have 24-hour mental health care available, an internal review
found.
The report by the Veterans Affairs Department's inspector general, which
was scheduled to be released later Thursday, is the first comprehensive
look at VA mental health care, particularly in the area of suicide
prevention.
It found that nearly three years after the VA adopted a comprehensive
strategy of mental health care, services were inconsistent throughout
its network of 1,400 clinics. Many facilities lacked 24-hour staff,
adequate screening for mental problems, or personnel who were properly
trained.
With about one-third of veterans reporting symptoms of post-traumatic
stress disorder, it is "incumbent upon VHA to continue moving forward
toward full deployment of suicide prevention strategies for our nation's
veterans," the five-page executive summary stated.
The report comes as already-strained troops and veterans say they are
suffering more psychological problems due to repeated and extended
deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. In a study earlier this month, a
Pentagon task force issued an urgent warning for improved care, citing a
strained health system.
In the VA's inspector general report Thursday, investigators echoed some
of those concerns in citing a need for additional staffing and better
training in VA facilities nationwide. It said about 1,000 veterans who
receive VA care commit suicide every year, and as many as 5,000 a year
among all living veterans.
Among the other findings:
_VA clinics and Pentagon military hospitals must improve their sharing
of health information, particularly for patients who might return to
active-duty status.
_VA should loosen criteria for inpatient PTSD care. Currently only
veterans with "sustained sobriety" get treatment.
In a written response, Michael Kussman, the VA's acting undersecretary
for health, concurred with many of the recommendations. He noted that
the VA has recently installed suicide prevention coordinators in each
medical center to better develop prevention strategies.
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Larry Scott --
