VA official emphasizes addressing mental health issues early

[The Straight Story]

A official emphasizes addressing mental health issues early


4/9/2010 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Close collaboration between Defense and Veterans Affairs department officials, plus proactive military screening policies are helping to identify and treat mental-health issues in returning combat veterans before they escalate into more serious, long-term problems, said the Veteran Affairs secretary. .

Secretary Eric K. Shinseki credited Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates' leadership in addressing mental-health concerns early, before they spill over into the VA health care system.

"We know that if we diagnose things like (post-traumatic stress) and treat it early, people generally get better," Secretary Shinseki said. "That's opposed to waiting until 20 years later, when a youngster comes in and says, 'I have a problem.'"

Nearly everyone returning from a combat deployment has at least some symptoms of post-traumatic stress, Secretary Shinseki said. The trick, he said, is to deal with it before it becomes PTSD.

http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123199032