Does The Military Have Enough Psychiatrists?

Clara Ritger | Defense One | April 10, 2014

Twelve consecutive years of war have turned soldiers into the subjects of an unintended experiment in the impact of prolonged conflict on the human psyche. And the results are still out, according to Army Surgeon General Patricia Horoho, who testified Wednesday at a congressional hearing.

“I worry about the long-term repercussions of these wars on our veterans,” Horoho told the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. “We’re in an era where I don’t think we know what the impact of 12 years of war has on an individual.” Sen. Dick Durbin chaired the hearing in the wake of the shooting on the military base in Fort Hood, Texas, hoping to find a way to prevent future tragedies.

One in five American soldiers returning from Afghanistan and Iraq report symptoms of PTSD or major depression, according to a 2008 Rand Corporation study. Only half of those individuals seek treatment. But even those who do seek help don’t always find solutions—including the Fort Hood shooter, who was reportedly being treated for anxiety and depression...