PTSD Claims on The Rise

Posted by Kathy Quan May 9, 2007

Not since World War II has the VA been urged to make such major changes. The study was ordered and paid for by the VA in an effort to determine how to better treat this issue in the face of rising claims of PTSD that it was not prepared for.

The study suggests that the VA needs to broaden its definition of PTSD and standardize criteria for screening and treatment options in accordance with current scientific knowledge. The study was conducted jointly by the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council. Additionally the VA needs to set fixed long term disbaility benefits for those who suffer from PTSD and bring them up to date and standardize them as well.

Surprisingly, the recent increase in claims is from Vietnam War veterans. The study expects that in future decades, the spike in claims will come from Gulf War veterans as well as veterans of the Iraq war and Afghanistan. The data indicates that PTSD and other mental health claims tend to come in later years after the mental conditions have taken their toll on the physical health status of the veterans, and their general health fails or another war reminds them of their own battles.

Adding to the situation is the fact that there continues to grow a shortage of nurses, psychiatrists and psychologists who have been trained to deal with PTSD. Those who remain are battling issues of burnout of their own.

Controlling the skyrocketing costs associated with this problem as well as replenishing the mental health workers are challenges the VA faces in providing appropriate health care for the veterans afflicted with this condition.