Whereas more than 1,000,000 members of the United States
Armed Forces have already served in ongoing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan,
including members of the National Guard and Reserves;
Whereas in Afghanistan and Iraq, members of the Armed
Forces have engaged in intense and prolonged combat, placing them at risk for
developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or other mental health
conditions;
Whereas according to a Government Accountability Office
report, PTSD can occur after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening
event and is the most prevalent mental health disorder resulting from
combat;
Whereas early identification and treatment of symptoms of
PTSD through education, peer and family support, therapy, or medications may
lessen the severity of the condition and improve overall quality of life for
those with PTSD;
Whereas family members of members of the Armed Forces make
numerous sacrifices and are an integral part of the support network available
to the Nation’s warriors and veterans;
Whereas it has been recognized that the ongoing conflicts
in Iraq and Afghanistan have placed unique stresses on the families of members
of the Armed Forces due to lengthy and repeated deployments and the high
incidence of casualties;
Whereas the House of Representatives passed House
Concurrent Resolution 162 in November 2007, which noted that there are more
than 3,000,000 family members and other dependents of those serving on active
duty and in the Reserve Component, that nearly 50 percent of the members of the
Armed Forces who are deployed away from their permanent duty stations have left
families with children behind, and that over 50 percent of the members of the
Armed Forces who are currently deployed in Iraq are married;
Whereas the House of Representatives passed House
Concurrent Resolution 181 in September 2007 which recognized that the families
of members of the Armed Forces, and in particular their children, provide
unconditional love and support to their loved ones serving in the Armed Forces
before, during, and after their deployment;
Whereas the House of Representatives passed House
Resolution 265 in April 2008 recognizing that children of members of the Armed
Forces too share in the burden of protecting the Nation and are a source of
pride and honor to all Americans and it is fitting that the Nation recognize
their contributions and celebrate their spirit;
Whereas House Resolution 265 urged Americans to join with
the military community in observing the National Month of the Military
Child
with appropriate ceremonies and activities that honor, support,
and thank military children;
Whereas, on July 15, 2008, the House of Representatives
passed House Concurrent Resolution 295 expressing appreciation to families of
members of the Armed Forces and recognizing that they too bear the burdens of
war;
Whereas the Department of Defense June 2007 Mental Health
Task Force report noted that The well-being of service members is
inextricably linked to the well-being of their families. Frequent redeployments
may strain even the strongest family bonds. In this era of instant
communication, the service member remains in constant contact with his or her
family … Thus, a world-class military mental health system ensures optimal
mental health among not only service members but also family
members.
;
Whereas while families can play a critical role in
veterans’ readjustment through support, family members who are suffering as a
result of the long separations and multiple and extended tours of duty, and in
some cases by their own experience with depression or anxiety, may not have the
capacity to provide that needed support;
Whereas of the approximately 300,000 veterans of Operation
Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom who have accessed Department of
Veterans Affairs health care, over 40 percent have presented mental health
concerns, including PTSD, substance abuse, and mood disorders;
Whereas millions of other veterans from previous wars also
continue to suffer the effects of PTSD and to seek treatment from the
Department of Veterans Affairs;
Whereas PTSD has been associated with severe, pervasive
negative effects that affect the whole family and not just the veteran
including impacts on marital adjustment, family functioning, and the mental
health of partners, which are reflected in part by rates of separation,
divorce, and interpersonal violence;
Whereas a number of reports have noted that the effects of
post-combat mental and cognitive conditions can adversely affect those closest
to the veteran, as family member of veterans with PTSD may be faced with a
number of strains from managing the person’s symptoms, dealing with crises,
loss of friends, or loss of intimacy;
Whereas the RAND Corporation’s Invisible Wounds of War
report noted that with respect to PTSD, there is extensive evidence that
secondary traumatizing—a situation in which the intimate partners of trauma
survivors themselves begin to experience symptoms of trauma—occurs and has
serious negative consequences for the emotional and psychological well-being of
the spouses of veterans with PTSD … Thus the brunt of the burden of
servicemembers with PTSD appears to fall on the people who are most intimate
with those individuals—their wives.
;
Whereas the study further reported that compared with the
wives of other veterans, wives of veterans with either of the disorders
(post-concussion syndrome or PTSD), experience significantly higher levels of
distress and psychiatric symptoms;
Whereas the Special Committee on PTSD of the Department of
Veterans Affairs advised in February 2006 that the VA needs to proceed
with a broad understanding of post deployment mental health issues
and
that Because virtually all returning veterans and their families face
readjustment problems, it makes sense to provide universal interventions that
include education and support for veterans and their families coupled with
screening and triage for the minority of veterans and families who will need
further intervention
;
Whereas while spouses, children, and parents of veterans
with mental health care needs are affected by the condition of their family
members who served in the Armed Forces, many may not have access to the variety
of treatment services that are available to veterans at facilities of the
Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense;
Whereas the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of
Representatives has held a number of hearings to explore ways to help the
family members of the Nation’s veterans access needed health care services
through the Department of Veterans Affairs facilities; and
Whereas Congress recognizes that it is important to
support the needs of families of members of the Armed Forces, especially those
diagnosed with PTSD or other mental health conditions: Now, therefore, be
it
That the House of
Representatives—
(1)supports
increasing efforts to allow the spouses and family members of veterans,
including soldiers killed in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, to receive needed
counseling services at Department of Veterans Affairs facilities;
(2)encourages the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of Defense to develop programs
for veterans with PTSD that include and treat the whole family, including by
offering training and counseling for coping, intervention, resiliency, and
overcoming adversities;
(3)believes that such
a holistic approach would include families, as deemed appropriate by the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in mental health counseling and programs
provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs to the maximum extent possible
and appropriate;
(4)calls on the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the Secretary of Defense, and the heads of other
appropriate Federal agencies to increase resources available for family and
friends of veterans who are suffering from PTSD and to continue to build up
programs and initiatives to educate and support all veterans and their families
seeking care for combat-related PTSD;
(5)urges the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of Defense to increase access
to counseling and other mental health services to family members of veterans,
including the family members of members of the Armed Forces killed in Iraq and
Afghanistan, as part of the comprehensive plan for preventing, diagnosing,
treating, and responding to traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress
disorder, and other mental health conditions in members of the Armed Forces as
required by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public
Law 110–181);
(6)urges the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs to collaborate with the Department of Defense
center of excellence in the prevention, diagnosis, mitigation, treatment, and
rehabilitation of PTSD and other mental health conditions, established pursuant
to section 1622 of the Wounded Warrior Act (title XVI of the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008; Public Law 110–181; 10 U.S.C. 1071
note), to develop and implement effective strategies to educate and reach out
to the families of members of the Armed Forces with PTSD, to develop programs
to mitigate the negative impacts of PTSD on these family members, to conduct
research on the mental health needs of these families in order to guide
protocols to address identified needs, and to better support the recovery of
members of the Armed Forces and veterans with PTSD through strengthening the
ability of family members to meet those needs;
(7)requests that the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of Defense to submit to
Congress a list of statutory barriers that prevent each department from
expanding access to mental health counseling services for family members of
veterans, including recommendations for legislative remedies; and
(8)urges the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to
aggressively work with Congress, veterans service organizations, and others,
including through partnerships with nonprofit veterans groups working to meet
the mental health needs of our military members and their families, to
determine how to best meet the needs of veterans and their family
members.