Monday
Oct262009
Gates: After Waging War, Mental Health Of U.S. Servicemen And Women Highest Priority
Talk Radio News Service (Admin)
Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Veterans Affairs Secretary Erik Shinseki spoke out Monday on the importance of treatment and prevention of post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD] among U.S. servicemen and women.
“Beyond waging the wars we are in, treatment of our wounded, their continuing care and eventual re-integration into every day life is my highest priority. I consider this a solemn pact between those who have risked and suffered and the nation that owes them its eternal gratitude,” said Gates during a mental health summit in Washington, D.C (0:19)
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“Beyond waging the wars we are in, treatment of our wounded, their continuing care and eventual re-integration into every day life is my highest priority. I consider this a solemn pact between those who have risked and suffered and the nation that owes them its eternal gratitude,” said Gates during a mental health summit in Washington, D.C (0:19)
Listen
Reader Comments (1)
On behalf of the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE), we would like to thank you for your article. As Secretary Gates pointed at the joint Department of Defense/Department of Veterans Affairs Mental Health Summit Monday, psychological health and traumatic brain injury concerns are affecting our service members, and the stigma associated with seeking treatment for those concerns may prevent warriors from reaching out for help. However, our warriors are not alone.
DCoE is sponsoring the Real Warriors Campaign to combat stigma and encourage service members to seek appropriate care and treatment. More information about our campaign is available at www.realwarriors.net.
The campaign includes real service members who had the strength to seek treatment and are continuing to maintain successful military or civilian careers (http://realwarriors.net/multimedia/profiles.php). Psychological stress is a common result of deployment, and by sharing their own stories, these warriors are proving that treatments, tools and resources, such as the DCoE Outreach Center, are available to strengthen resilience and assist in recovery and reintegration.
The DCoE Outreach Center, which is online at http://www.dcoe.health.mil, can be reached by using the Live Chat function on http://www.realwarriors.net, by calling toll-free 866-966-1020 or by e-mailing resources@dcoeoutreach.org. All conversations are confidential.