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UPDATE: AT TRIAL, VA OFFICIAL DENIES SUICIDE NUMBERS
COVER UP -- Also, Dr. Michael Kussman makes
strange
statement reinforcing stigma of mental illness.
We have two stories...first about the denial of a
VA cover up...second is about a strange statement many believe reinforces
the stigmas of mental illness.
For background on this lawsuit (with
backlinks)...click here...
http://www.vawatchdog.org/08/nf08/nfAPR08/nf042508-5.htm
The official web site for this lawsuit is here...
http://www.veteransptsdclassaction.org/index.html
First story here...
http://www.cbsnews.com/stori
es/2008/04/25/cbsnews_investigates/main4044399.shtml
Story below:
-------------------------
Despite E-mails, VA Boss Denies Cover Up
CBS News investigative producer Pia Malbran wrote
this story for CBSNews.com.
The head of health care at the Department of
Veteran Affairs (VA) denied any wrong doing by the agency on Thursday as
more internal emails surfaced showing VA officials discussed withholding
suicide information from the public.
While on the stand in California federal court, where the VA is facing a
lawsuit filed by veteran advocates who are demanding better health care,
Dr. Michael Kussman, the VA’s Under Secretary for Health, said, “I
disagree with the premise that there was some effort to cover up
something.”
On March 10 of this year, Everett Chasen, the chief communications officer
for the VA’s Veterans Health Administration (VHA) sent an e-mail message
to several top agency officials including Kussman. At the time, CBS News
was preparing a report about attempted suicides among VA patients. Chasen
wrote, “I don’t want to give CBS any more numbers on veteran suicides or
attempts than they already have - it will only lead to more questions.”
In response, Kussman said he did not “recall” the message. He said,
“Obviously I’m [copied] on the e-mail but I get [copied] on a huge number
of e-mails everyday.”
In another e-mail - dated December 15, 2007 - Dr.
Ira Katz, who oversees mental health at the VA, informed Kussman that
“there are 18 suicides per day” among all vets and “4-5 suicides per day”
among those being treated by the VA. When asked by lawyers in court if
these figures raised any concerns, Kussman said, “Any suicide is cause for
concern.” However, despite repeated requests by media and members of
Congress, the VA has never made these figures publicly known.
Two other e-mails presented in court on Thursday show VA officials calling
a CBS News investigative report on veteran suicides “defensible” with a
methodology that “appears to be correct.”
CBS News spent five months compiling nationwide suicide data based on
state death records after the VA said they did not collect this kind of
information. The report was broadcast last November and heavily criticized
by VA officials.
Kussman was asked if the VA ever told Congressman Steve Buyer, R-Ind, who
questioned the accuracy of the CBS News report, that the report was
“defensible.” Kussman said, “I don’t know if that was specifically
communicated to the congressman.”
-------------------------
Second story here...
http://psychcentral.com
/blog/archives/2008/04/25/undersecretary-of-hea
lth-reinforces-stigma-of-mental-health/
Story below:
-------------------------
Undersecretary of Health Reinforces Stigma of
Mental Illness
by John M. Grohol, Psy.D.
You’ve got to scratch your head when one of the government’s chief
advocates for health care in the Veterans Administration just reinforces
the old stigmas associated with mental health concerns. Testifying before
a federal judge in San Francisco, Michael Kussman said:
“The number of patients who have adjustment reactions to the experience
that they have in Afghanistan or Iraq is very important, but we don’t
believe that’s mental illness,” Kussman said. “It would be unfair and
inappropriate to stigmatize people with a mental health diagnosis when
they are having what most people believe are normal reactions to abnormal
situations.”
Well, golly gee Dr. Kussman, are you saying that traumatic reaction to
wartime situations isn’t a mental illness? Because posttraumatic stress
disorder (PTSD) surely has existed in one form or another since all wars
have ever been fought. Is PTSD simply an “adjustment reaction” (whatever
that is)? Or are you saying that an adjustment disorder isn’t a real,
diagnosable mental disorder? Because, if you are, you’d be wrong on that
account as well.
Or, perhaps worse of all, are you suggesting that because mental disorders
remain stigmatized within our society today — especially within the
military — we therefore shouldn’t seek to properly diagnose and treat
soldiers with real and often serious mental health problems? As the
undersecretary of health for the VA, you don’t exactly help reduce the
stigma with beliefs like this. One of your jobs is to help reduce the
stigma of all health and mental health concerns through education and
information. Instead you’re only reinforcing the stigma by suggesting
people with mental health disorders are somehow damaged or treated
unfairly. And if that’s the case, Mr. Undersecretary, I suggest you work
to change the system you head that allows veterans to be treated unfairly
because of such a diagnosis.
Having a depressive, traumatic or anxious reaction to combat is actually
not a normal reaction (even if some of us believe it should be). And
sadly, war and combat fighting is not an “abnormal situation” for a
soldier — it is exactly what is expected of them (and what they signed up
for).
In a perfect world, we wouldn’t need soldiers. But in a perfect world, we
would definitely take care of those who fought for us. That especially
means not minimizing the effects of wartime, nor reinforcing the stigma of
mental illness — a condition that returns with so many of our military men
and women who have seen combat.
Read the full article: Official defends VA’s
mental health effort...here...
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/25/BAS010BH7F.DTL
-------------------------
posted by Larry
Scott
Founder and Editor
VA Watchdog dot Org
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