Editorial: U.S. Rep. Rooney right to call for mandatory mental health screening for soldiers

December 14, 2009

War is hell, and the wars the U.S. military is fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan are a particular kind of hell, witness suicide bombings, inordinate deaths of innocent civilian women and children and the destructive power of roadside bombs maiming and killing friends and comrades.

What the nation's service personnel have witnessed are scenes no one should experience. And, the images can be compounded with multiple tours and little time to reconnect with the normalcy of the life they have temporarily left behind.

Because of this kind of military service, the Armed Forces could, perhaps, have predicted an increase in depression, post-traumatic stress syndrome and suicide among military personnel returning home. But, only in the past couple of years have the problems been recognized as a crisis and steps taken to deal with mental health issues.

More than 1.7 million Americans have served in the two wars. Some experts estimate as many as 35 percent of returning soldiers suffer depression or will suffer depression. Suicides among military men and women reached a record level last year and likely will be higher this year.

Still, many veterans coming home fail to seek or get help for their mental problems.

Speaking in a Pentagon briefing in November, Gen. Peter Chiarelli, the Army's vice chief of staff, said, "It is absolutely unacceptable to have individuals suffering in silence because they’re afraid their peers or superiors will make fun of them or, worse, it will adversely affect their careers."

In part because of the stigma attached to mental problems — even if combat related — U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Tequesta, joined with Michael McMahon, D-New York, in sponsoring legislation earlier this year to make mental health evaluations mandatory for returning troops. They also want to broaden access to professional counseling for veterans.

Currently, service members must fill out a mental health assessment before coming home. If they note problems, they can be kept for treatment.

"The delay in returning home coupled with the stigma associated with reaching out for help to treat a mental injury prevents soldiers from being honest in their assessments," said Rooney, a veteran himself. "A mandatory screening for all service members can reduce the growing rates of suicides amongst service members while fighting this debilitating stigma."

The bill has not passed, but some language from it was included in the Defense Authorization Bill for 2010. But, it leaves out two key ingredients. It doesn’t make the screening mandatory and it doesn’t require that the evaluations be done by mental health professionals.

"When you send these guys to war, you've got to take care of them when they get home," Rooney said. "I don’t want kids who are coming back home now to be homeless in 30 years because they weren’t treated. I see that as a direct failure of our government to take care of the people we sent to war."

The military is taking steps to combat the problems by urging personnel to understand and recognize problems experienced by their peers and by training additional personnel in mental health evaluations and treatment. It’s also working with the National Institute of Mental Health to develop new training techniques for soldiers to better care for their problems.

With more troops now committed to Afghanistan, the number of soldiers experiencing mental health problems likely will grow. Rooney’s approach to mandatory screening makes sense and he has pledged to continue fighting for those military personnel who need help but may be unwilling to ask for it.

Providing counseling and treatment can be a tremendous aid to returning soldiers. Importantly, it can also be a tremendous aid for their families and their communities.

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