A study published in the American Journal of Public Health a few days ago shows that the rate of mental health diagnoses among veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan is on the rise. The study made special note of the increase in cases of post traumatic stress disorder. From the abstract:
Of 289,328 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, 106,726 (36.9%) received mental health diagnoses; 62,929 (21.8%) were diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and 50,432 (17.4%) with depression. Adjusted 2-year prevalence rates of PTSD increased 4 to 7 times after the invasion of Iraq.
Since the full body of the article requires a subscription, I relied on articles in the Los Angeles Times and Bloomberg.com for more details. Both articles report parallels to the post-Vietnam era in mental health issues for our troops. I found this quote, as reported by Bloomberg.com, pretty disturbing:
The high number of mental health disorders puts the U.S. at risk of "an epidemic of chronic mental illness, as occurred with Vietnam veterans," the study’s authors wrote.
I had a co-worker who was a Vietnam vet, and who battled the effects of post traumatic stress disorder the entire time I knew him. He wasn't a close friend, but I knew him well enough to see the impact PTSD had on his life. About 10 years ago, some 30 years after his return from Vietnam, this co-worker took his own life. Although the immediate triggers for his suicide were events in his life at the time, it was clear to family and all who knew him that the root cause was his PTSD, which made it difficult for him to cope with the kinds of challenges life throws at all of us.
The symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder can be pronounced or subtle and difficult to diagnose. Some patients respond well to treatment; for others like my co-worker the damage can be deep and long-lasting. And the social stigma associated with PTSD can be strong; the idea that sufferers can just "buck up", "get a grip", "deal with it" is still far too prevalent.
Here, via the LA Times, is what researchers had to say about possible causes for the significant increase in PTSD diagnoses among the men and women who've served in Iraq and Afghanistan:
The researchers said they could not pinpoint the exact causes of the increase, but suggested: "Waning public support and lower morale among troops may predispose returning veterans to mental health problems, as occurred during the Vietnam era."
If this hypothesis is even partially correct, it makes clear the importance of efforts like Netroots for the Troops. I'm not saying a care package alone can prevent PTSD; clearly that's not the case. But if "waning public support and lower morale" truly are contributing factors to the increase mental health challenges our returning troops face, then any effort to improve moral and demonstrate our personal support for these men and women gains added importance.
So dig deep; we need your contributions to fill these boxes, and to cover the cost of getting them to the men and women who so need the message of caring and support they will carry. Small things can make a big difference.
Our goal for Netroots For The Troops 2009 is $50,000.00
cash or in-kind donations).
PLEASE DONATE HERE
We realize that you would like to donate something tangible to go inside the packages that will be mailed to the troops. Unfortunately, accepting in-kind donations from individuals is not practical in terms of storage and handling of the items. The Pittsburgh Convention Center is a union shop so we have more stringent rules that need to be followed. Instead, we will only be accepting corporate donations or cash from YOU to purchase items for the care packages this year.
Here’s how YOU can help:
- Please contact TexDem or DonnaMarie if you know someone who might be helpful in securing the corporate in-kind donations. To help you think of companies who could donate products, see below* for a list of potential items. Put your thinking caps on and let us hear from you. It takes time to get through the corporate processes so we need to hear from you ASAP!
- We are accepting cash from individuals and
beg ask that you DONATE HERE to contribute to this worthy cause. Your donation will enable us to purchase the things that we are unable to obtain through corporate donations, and will help to pay the costs of shipping them to our troops. This year your donations will be tax deductible, thanks to Netroots Nation and their partner Netroots Arts and Education Initiative, a California 501(c)3 corporation.
- Sign up for a diary! Our goal is to post two diaries per day until NN09. That’s a lot of diaries! Don’t worry---we’ve made it easy for you. We’ve got a template set up, and all you need to do is add a small introduction telling us why you are donating, sharing a story of someone you know who has served or is serving, or any other thing you want to share that might help motivate others to donate. Please contact Donnamarie if you are interested in posting a diary.
- Do you know a service member who would like to receive a care package? Email a request to: NFTT.request@gmail.com before July 31, 2009.
Please include all of the following information. Unfortunately we will not be able to process any incomplete requests:
Rank:
Last name:
First name:
APO Address Line 1:
APO Address Line 2:
APO Address Zip:
- Write letters to be included in the packages! Our own jlms qkw is collecting the letters and will print them out and bring them to Pittsburgh. Just email your letter to her jlms_qkw@yahoo.com. Look for more information from jlms qkw soon. If you need some ideas, rbutters wrote an excellent diary with tips on how to write letters to troops and why it’s so important to them.
- Help us assemble the packages in Pittsburgh. It's fun! More information will be forthcoming for those of you who are going to be in Pittsburgh and would like to help there.
- Please consider joining the NFTT FaceBook Group. Invite your FaceBook and non-FaceBook friends.
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*The following list contains some of the things we would like to include in the packages. Please let us know if you know someone who might be helpful in securing these corporate in-kind donations. (Please DO NOT send these items yourself! We have no way to accept them. Instead, your cash donation is the very best way to help make this happen on the ground in Pittsburgh.)
- Baby wipes
- Mechanix gloves
- LED flashlights
- Gel shoe insoles
- Goop Cleaning Gel
- Powdered energy drinks
- Gel energy food packets
- DVDs and CDs
- Letters to the soldiers
- More suggestions coming soon
Books for Soldiers
Soldiers love to receive books, but due once again to the logistics of collecting and storing them prior to NN09, books will not be included in the packages that NFTT will put together this year. Other organizations are more specialized in the collection and distribution of books to Iraq and Afghanistan. If you are interested in sending books, please consider checking out the Books for Soldiers Website. It is run by DKos's very own StormBearand is a great resource for giving.
Important Note about Successful Online Donations
PLEASE DONATE HERE
When you make your online donation, the screen indicates that you are donating to Netroots Nation. This is the right screen! Rest assured all donations WILL go to NFTT. If you wish, feel free to use the comment area provided to note that your donation is intended for Netroots For The Troops. It isn’t necessary to do this however, as this is the only fundraising activity being conducted for Netroots Nation at this time. For further information about online donations, please read TexDem's diary on the subject.
Update 07/08/09
We have our first deep discount of a product. Our LED pinch-light flashlight. Princeton Tec, through Hit the Trail Wilderness Gear and Nature Goods, a hiking store in Newnan GA, are providing us a discount for the top of the line "Impulse".
If you need hiking gear, please support Robbie Hinley online via, Hit the Trail. Spread the word.