According to a recent RAND Corp. study, roughly one in five soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan displays symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, putting them at a higher risk for suicide. Researchers at Portland State University found that male veterans are twice as likely to commit suicide than men who are not veterans.

This month, a former Army medic, Joseph Dwyer, who was shown in a Military Times photograph running through a battle zone carrying an Iraqi boy, died of an accidental overdose after struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder for almost five years.

Janet Kemp, national suicide prevention coordinator for the Veterans Affairs Department, said the hot line is in place to help prevent deaths such as Dwyer’s. "We just want them to know there’s other options and people do care about them, and we can help them make a difference in their lives," she said in an interview.

The VA teamed up with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to launch the hot line last July after years of criticism that the VA wasn’t doing enough to help wounded soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. In April, two veterans groups sued the VA, citing long delays for processing applications and other problems in treatment for veterans at risk for suicide. The department has spent $2.9 million on the hot line thus far.

The hot line receives up to 250 calls per day _ double the average number calling when it began. Kemp said callers are divided evenly between veterans from the Iraq, Afghanistan and Vietnam wars. Richard McKeon, public health adviser for SAMHSA, said 10 to 20 of the 1,575 calls received each week have to be rerouted to high-volume backup call centers throughout the country.

The VA estimates that every year 6,500 veterans take their own lives. The mental health director for the VA, Ira Katz, said in an e-mail last December that of the 18 veterans who commit suicide each day, four to five of them are under VA care, and 12,000 veterans under VA care are attempting suicide each year.

This month, the hot line began an advertising campaign in Washington area subway stations and buses featuring the slogan, "It takes the courage and strength of a warrior to ask for help."

The veterans hot line, which is linked to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, received 55,000 callers in its first year, including both veterans and people who are concerned about them, according to figures being released Monday. One-third of the 40 specially trained counselors are veterans themselves.

"We try to get them (callers) to talk about their situation and what they remember and see if they can identify exactly what their issues are. I think there’s a comfort in knowing that they can get some help from people who do understand what combat stress is like," Kemp said.

From the call center, counselors instantly can check a veteran’s medical records and then connect the caller to local VA suicide prevention coordinators for follow-up, monitoring and care at local VA medical centers. Kemp said that since the hot line started, 106 veterans have been steered to free medical care from the VA.

Kemp said the hot line was put in place specifically for those veterans who don’t get enough help until it’s too late. "They have indicated to us that they are in extreme danger, either they have guns in their hand or they’re standing on a bridge, or they’ve already swallowed pills," she said. Kemp said 1,221 veterans who were in such situations were rescued during the hot line’s first year.

The VA is preparing for the eventual return of a large number of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan. This could put added stress on the mental health screening program for returning veterans, which could lead to a rise in undiagnosed mental health issues. The VA recently got enough money to double its suicide prevention staff and is planning to hire 212 more people soon.

From AP Online and the Network of Care

The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare applauds Congress for passing legislation to improve Medicare benefits for persons with mental illness.

Yesterday the Senate approved, with overwhelming bipartisan support, a bill that will phase out Medicare’s higher copays for mental health services, bringing them in line with copays for physical health care services. Since its inception in 1965, Medicare has required 50 percent copay for mental health services, compared to 20 percent for other health care services.

The Senate passed the Medicare legislation by a veto-proof 69-30 margin, after House approval on June 24 by a 355-59 vote.

"The National Council has advocated long and hard to end Medicare’s discrimination against mental health," said Linda Rosenberg, MSW, President and CEO of the National Council. "Congress has taken a major step forward in ensuring better access to care for millions of America’s senior citizens who experience debilitating mental illnesses but cannot afford the exorbitant copays for the screening and treatment they need."

It is estimated that only half of older adults with mental health problems receive treatment, according to an Administration on Aging 2001 report. Due to Medicare’s cost barriers, expensive inpatient services are used more often than outpatient services to treat mental health conditions among the elderly.

Check out some amazing resources for vets and their families. The Network of Care offers behavioral health information and resources for military service members and veterans about how to "positively cope" with the transition back to family members, friends and the community from active military service. It also describes some of the types of behaviors and feelings that are normal combat stress reactions and where to go for help if normal stress reactions become problematic.

To explore the For Service Members & Veterans section, please click NETWORK OF CARE FOR VETS.

The For Service Members & Veterans section was inspired by the OHIOCARES Service Member, Family and Community Behavioral Health Resource Guide. The guide was created to assist military service members, veterans, their families and community-based agencies with the service member’s behavioral health needs during the transition from active duty back to civilian life. To read or download the guide, please click the "OHIOCARES Guide" link at left.

For family members, this section is designed to provide information about realistic expectations for the homecoming of the military service members and veterans and available behavioral health resources in the event problems are identified resulting from combat stress.