AUSTIN, Texas - The nation's wars may be winding down, but many returning veterans are still fighting for their lives.

Suicide and mental-illness rates are skyrocketing, and those who left the service on bad terms are missing out on standard benefits - just when they need them most. An estimated one in five recent veterans suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, but the diagnosis often comes after a soldier's less-than-honorable discharge.

Pfc. Ryan Angell, 25, faced combat in Iraq during his 3 1/2 years in the Army. He was let go for misconduct, and later diagnosed with PTSD. He lives in Jasper now and is finding it hard to get back on his feet.

"Health care's a big one. As soon as I got out, they canceled my insurance. I tried applying for unemployment; didn't receive a dime. I've been denied my VA home loan, my post-9/11 GI Bill to go to school on - everything."

Angell contacted the nonprofit Texas Legal Services Center's veterans' assistance program, which is helping him apply for a discharge upgrade - from dishonorable to medical. Janet Totter, a retired naval officer and the program's managing attorney, says the upgrade process is long and complicated.

"There's a tremendous burden on the veteran to prove that the military didn't get it right, and that the conduct really was associated with undiagnosed PTSD, or undiagnosed traumatic brain injury, or some other medical condition."

Totter says the length of those wars, with an unprecedented number of redeployments, is one reason the emotional toll on veterans from Afghanistan and Iraq has been so high.

The Army has made efforts to consider PTSD when it sees behavioral problems, but Totter thinks no military branch is equipped - or adequately funded - to handle the illness appropriately. Troops with physical injuries are treated and returned to active duty if possible, she says, but with psychological injuries, a quick separation is easier and cheaper - making them "throw-away soldiers."

"We are not giving purple hearts to combat veterans who have PTSD even though the PTSD was a result of the combat. We say, 'Yeah, we're concerned about them,' but we don't honor their service the same."

Besides the loss of benefits, she says, a bad discharge can stigmatize a veteran for life.

Angell believes his PTSD was triggered by an attack on his convoy in 2009. His superiors indicated he would be commended for helping rescue survivors, but he soon found himself in trouble instead - for fighting and substance abuse. While he didn't recognize the symptoms at the time, he thinks the military should have.

"They put all the money into the soldier to go to war, and then when they got a broken soldier, they don't want to put the money back in to make him a real soldier again. They need you, and it's all good, but once they don't need you they kick you to the curb."

The Texas Legal Services Center has a free hotline for low-income veterans at 1-800-622-2520. More informaiton is online at tlsc.org.


get more stories like this via email

Studies show suicide is a serious public health problem, claiming more than 48,000 lives each year in the nation.

A new initiative from the Zero Suicide Institute aims to change it and demonstrate how a diverse group of hospitals in South Carolina and elsewhere can improve their suicide prevention practices.

Allyson Sipes, director of clinical initiatives at G. Werber Bryan Psychiatric Hospital in Columbia, said the Institute worked with her staff to develop best practices.

"The Zero Suicide Institute brought in a group of individuals that we could learn from," Sipes recounted. "Then having an expert faculty with a change package that we used to set our facility and what to look at and address."

Sipes explained the program was developed by the Pew Charitable Trusts to test evidence-informed methods to detect suicide risk and connect patients to treatment.

Nearly 27% of U.S. hospitals do not practice recommended suicide prevention practices, including safety planning, warm handoffs to outpatient care, patient follow-up and lethal-means counseling.

Laurin Jozlin, senior project associate for the institute, said studies show half the people who die by suicide saw a health care professional in the month before their death but were never referred to a mental health professional.

"We know that there's an opportunity in health and behavioral health care systems to intervene," Jozlin acknowledged. "They are being seen by health and behavioral health care professionals but they're often not identified as someone who is at risk of suicide."

Sara Voelker, improvement adviser for the Education Development Center, said they take ideas proven successful elsewhere and develop them into best practices.

"We put it together into a change package," Voelker noted. "Then teams pulled out ideas that had worked in other places and then, essentially, figured out a way of, 'How do I adapt this to make it work in my organization?'"

If you are struggling with mental health, help is available by calling or texting 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Support for this reporting was provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts.


get more stories like this via email

As Children's Mental Health Awareness Week kicks off in Arkansas, an expert said parents can help their children have a healthy brain to thrive.

Charles Fay, child psychologist and president of the Love and Logic Institute, said national data show roughly 42% of adolescents aged 12-17 in Arkansas, mirroring national trends, receive services for severe depression.

He argued a healthy brain is the foundation of good parenting and Arkansas parents could foster children's ability to become mentally strong, responsible and successful.

"Parents creating a home where kids are really expected to take good care of themselves and show them how to do it, with the eating, the diet, with sleep," Fay outlined. "We're seeing more young people getting hardly any sleep and one of the biggest reasons is they have their phones or other devices in their bedrooms."

For children struggling with depression, anxiety or adjusting to challenging situations, the state program ARKids provides mental health resources online.

Fay stressed it is important for parents to identify signs of mental health struggles in their children. One indicator he suggested is a child's lack of interest in activities they normally enjoy. He added it is important for parents to consistently be firm and caring with their children.

"Firm means healthy limits and accountability," Fay emphasized. "There's been a number of studies recently that show that when kids do not have consistent limits, when they are not held accountable, they are far more likely to suffer from anxiety, depression, and a whole host of other mental health disorders."

Fay noted the importance of guiding children to translate their natural talents into fulfilling careers. He believes the path leads to greater happiness. His book, "Raising Mentally Strong Kids," features a strategy combining brain science with practical tools to cultivate resilient minds in children.

More than 1,000 family members of firefighters who died in the line of duty, including some from Texas, will gather in Emmitsburg, Maryland, starting this Friday, to honor their loved ones.

The occasion is the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend and 13 of the firefighters being honored are from Texas.

Victor Stagnaro, CEO of the National Firefighters Foundation, said their names will be added to a memorial wall.

"Every firefighter that's died in the line of duty since 1981 has their name inscribed on a bronze plaque that's mounted on a marble wall," Stagnaro explained. "The monument itself at the center is a marble sphere, I would say, and there's a flame that never goes out."

Fire chiefs from around the country will present the families with a rose, a badge and an American flag flown at the U.S. Capitol and the memorial site. Anyone who would like to honor the firefighters can participate in "Light the Night for Fallen Firefighters," this Wednesday through Sunday night, by lighting their homes, businesses and other landmarks with red lights, or by signing a virtual remembrance banner on the foundation's website.

The Foundation was formed in 1992 to not only honor those firefighters who pass away but provide support for their relatives. Through a "Fire Hero Family Network," survivors are matched with others who have similar experiences and circumstances. Stagnaro pointed out assistance is available for however long it's needed.

"We continue to support those families -- through scholarships, through wellness conferences, we have kid's camps -- all other types of activities to help support those families throughout the year," Stagnaro outlined.

He added relatives of people honored in previous years will be in attendance this weekend to offer support to those who are just beginning their journey. This year's tribute is for 226 fallen firefighters nationwide.


get more stories like this via email