[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 103 (Thursday, June 25, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S4654]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 215--DESIGNATING THE MONTH OF JUNE 2015 AS ``NATIONAL 
POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER AWARENESS MONTH'' AND JUNE 27, 2015, AS 
       ``NATIONAL POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER AWARENESS DAY''

  Ms. HEITKAMP (for herself, Mr. Heller, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Inhofe, 
Mrs. Murray, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Moran, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. 
Thune, Mr. Hoeven, Mr. Grassley, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Booker, Mr. Brown, 
Mr. Warner, Mr. Donnelly, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Franken, Mr. Roberts, Mr. 
Tester, Ms. Hirono, and Ms. Collins) submitted the following 
resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 215

       Whereas the brave men and women of the Armed Forces of the 
     United States, who proudly serve the United States, risk 
     their lives to protect the freedom of the people of the 
     United States, and deserve the investment of every possible 
     resource to ensure their lasting physical, mental, and 
     emotional well-being;
       Whereas more than 2,000,000 members of the Armed Forces 
     have deployed overseas since the events of September 11, 
     2001, and have served in places such as Afghanistan and Iraq;
       Whereas the Armed Forces of the United States have 
     sustained a historically high operational tempo since 
     September 11, 2001, with many members of the Armed Forces 
     deploying overseas multiple times, placing those members at 
     high risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (referred to in 
     this preamble as ``PTSD'');
       Whereas men and women of the Armed Forces and veterans who 
     served before September 11, 2001, remain at risk for PTSD and 
     other mental health disorders;
       Whereas the Secretary of Veterans Affairs reports that--
       (1) since October 2001, more than 390,000 of the 
     approximately 1,160,000 veterans of Operation Enduring 
     Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn who 
     have received health care from the Department of Veterans 
     Affairs have been diagnosed with PTSD;
       (2) in fiscal year 2014, more than 531,000 of the nearly 
     6,000,000 veterans who sought care at a medical facility of 
     the Department of Veterans Affairs received treatment for 
     PTSD; and
       (3) of veterans who served in Operation Enduring Freedom, 
     Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn who are 
     receiving health care from the Department of Veterans 
     Affairs, more than 615,000 have received a diagnosis for at 
     least 1 mental health disorder;
       Whereas many cases of PTSD remain unreported, undiagnosed, 
     and untreated due to a lack of awareness about PTSD and the 
     persistent stigma associated with mental health conditions;
       Whereas exposure to military trauma can lead to PTSD;
       Whereas PTSD significantly increases the risk of anxiety, 
     depression, suicide, homelessness, and drug- and alcohol-
     related disorders and deaths, especially if left untreated;
       Whereas public perceptions of PTSD or other mental health 
     disorders create unique challenges for veterans seeking 
     employment;
       Whereas the Department of Defense and the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs--as well as the larger medical community, 
     both private and public--have made significant advances in 
     the identification, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of 
     PTSD and the symptoms of PTSD, but many challenges remain;
       Whereas increased understanding of PTSD can help diminish 
     the stigma attached to this mental health issue, and 
     additional efforts are needed to find further ways to reduce 
     this stigma--including an examination of how PTSD is 
     discussed in the United States and a recognition that PTSD is 
     a common injury that is treatable and repairable;
       Whereas PTSD can result from any number of stressors other 
     than combat, including rape, sexual assault, battery, 
     torture, confinement, child abuse, car accidents, train 
     wrecks, plane crashes, bombings, or natural disaster, and 
     affects approximately 8,000,000 adults in the United States 
     annually; and
       Whereas the designation of a National Post-Traumatic Stress 
     Disorder Awareness Month and a National Post-Traumatic Stress 
     Disorder Day will raise public awareness about issues related 
     to PTSD, reduce the stigma associated with PTSD, and help 
     ensure that those suffering from the invisible wounds of war 
     receive proper treatment: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates June 2015 as ``National Post-Traumatic 
     Stress Disorder Awareness Month'' and June 27, 2015 as 
     ``National Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Day'';
       (2) supports the efforts of the Secretary of Veterans 
     Affairs and the Secretary of Defense--as well as the entire 
     medical community--to educate members of the Armed Forces, 
     veterans, the families of members of the Armed Forces and 
     veterans, and the public about the causes, symptoms, and 
     treatment of PTSD;
       (3) encourages commanders of the Armed Forces to support 
     appropriate treatment of men and women of the Armed Forces 
     who are diagnosed with PTSD; and
       (4) respectfully requests that the Secretary of the Senate 
     transmit a copy of this resolution to the Secretary of 
     Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of Defense.

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