Veterans continue to battle with mental and physical conditions that impact their health. They are a unique demographic that risk their lives to protect our freedoms. But after their deployment, they experience barriers in the healthcare system here at home. Often, doctors and clinical staff are not fully aware of the life-threatening risks after a military member returns from service to seek care and community support. Community health care providers must use screening questionnaires to deliver the best quality of care. Let's investigate the veteran's hidden conditions that they face after being on deployment.
Some mental health illnesses that impact veterans are PTSD, depression, anxiety, suicide, and many others. Community health care providers need to use screening tools that can help them identify these conditions. According to the RAND Corporation article, "Deployment Increases Mental Health Risks," 2.8 million service members are deployed, about 20% experience posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). About 15% of veterans experience depression. Nearly 40% of veterans have issues with alcohol dependency. About 47% of veterans feel sudden outbursts of anger, and 48% of veterans experience strains within their family life. In other words, understanding the veteran's mental health can make a difference for community health care providers. Community providers can assist veterans with the necessary resources they need to live a happy and healthy life.
Many veterans' medical records reveal that 1 in 3 patients are diagnosed with one mental health disorder. Forty-one percent of service members are diagnosed with a mental or behavioral disorder. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), "About 18 to 22 veterans commit suicide daily." This can be shocking to many people. Suicide is a primary mental health condition that many service members may encounter. Clinics and hospitals must be aware of these dire conditions because it can help save a life. The list goes on and on. Veterans ongoing combat and deployments put massive strains on their physical and mental health. More than ever, proper tools and resources should be used in all community care clinics and hospitals.
Identifying mental health conditions can be difficult and complex to navigate. There is one looming solution to help community health care providers. The answer is being educated about military culture. Many of our heroes feel isolated from society because of the rigorous environment that they endure. However, we want to help community health care providers improve their quality of care to veterans. We believe that education and awareness of military culture is the best place to start. By understanding the fundamentals of our veterans, we can deliver change within healthcare.
Let's help detect mental illnesses among our military service members with the proper tools and get them back to a healthy mental state. To learn more about QB Medical, check out our website at www.qbmedical.com. Together we can help more community health clinics change the way they serve veterans and delivering top-quality care.
Suicide Prevention Crisis Line: Mental Health
We want to help educate and save lives. If you or anyone you know may need help please contact the crisis line 1-800-273-8255 (Dial 1) or visit mentalhealth.va.gov for more information and resources.
Resources
Tanielian, Batka, Meredith. RAND Corporation. (2018). The Changing Landscape for Veterans’ Mental Health Care. [Article] Accessed 25 November 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9981z2.html
Diaz, Flowers, and Olenick. (2015). US Veterans and Their Unique Issues: Enhancing Health Care Professional Awareness. National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). Accessed 25 November 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4671760/#b13-amep-6-635
US Department of Veteran Affairs [Mental Health Page on the Internet] Suicide Prevention. US Department of Veteran Affairs; [Accessed 30 November 2020]. Available from https://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/suicide_prevention/veterans.asp