Social Work in the Context of the Military (some statistics)

I began this entry in July and haven't a clue why I didn't post it then. Unfinished, most likely, but it's been a while since I've focused on the military social work topic, so I don't know where else I was going to take it. For now. . .

PILOTS database posted here

Vital Mission: Ending Homelessness Among Veterans:

• The number of homeless veterans in CA 2005: 49,546
• The number of homeless veterans in CA 2006: 49,724
• The total number of veterans in CA 2005: 2,193,336
• The percent of veterans who are homeless: 2.26% (highest % for all 50 states)

Cunningham, M., Henry, M., & Lyons, W. (2007). Vital Mission: Ending Homelessness Among Veterans (Publication). Washington, DC: The Homeless Research Institute at the National Alliance to End Homelessness.


The Veterans for America November 2007 report "Trends in Treatment for America's Wounded Warriors":

* Almost 1.6 million American service members have deployed to OIF and OEF, and over 525,000 have deployed more than once• 60% of those deployed have family obligations

* 30% of Soldiers and Marines in high combat situations (those who spend over 56 percent of their time off base) will develop a mental health problem (depression, PTSD) – if members of National Guard, number rises to 49% of total population

* Soldiers on their second tour in Iraq are 50% more likely to develop a mental health problem than those on their first tour

* 58% of those with mental health issues will not seek treatment

* Of the 229,000 veterans of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom who sought treatment from the Department of Veterans Affairs between 2002 and December 2006, 37% received a diagnosis of a mental health condition, including 17% for PTSD

Trends in Treatment of American's Wounded Warriors: Psychological Trauma and Traumatic Brain Injuries: The Signature Wounds of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom (Rep.). (2007). Washington, D.C.: Veterans for America.


The American Psychological Association February 2007 preliminary report on "The Psychological Needs of U.S. Military Service Members and Their Families":

* Approximately 1.5 million American troops have been deployed in support of the war effort; one-third of them have served at least two tours in a combat zone, 70,000 have been deployed three times, and 20,000 have been deployed at least 5 times
* At present, 700,000 children in America have at least one parent deployed

* As many as one-fourth of all returning service members are struggling with “psychological injuries”
* Currently, there are 1,839 psychologists employed by the VA, charged with serving more than 24.3 million veterans from previous wars as well as a rapidly growing number of GWOT veterans
* For example, 14% of those surveyed screened positive for acute stress symptoms and 17% screened positive for acute stress, depression, or anxiety. In addition, 14% of the soldiers surveyed for the MHAT-III reported using medication for a mental health, combat stress, or sleep problem
* There have been 3,416 U.S. military fatalities as of January 26, 2007; if we multiply that number by .8, the average number of children per active duty member (MFRI, 2004), we can draw the conclusion that approximately 2,733 children have lost a parent in OIF/OEF
* The cohort of families with service members who are experiencing combat-related stress and PTSD may be at risk for increased violence against children and Domestic Violence
* Hogeís 2004 landmark study found that among soldiers who met screening criteria for mental disorders, only 38-45% expressed interest in getting help through the military system, and only 23-40% of them had gotten any professional help in the past year
* Potential barriers to effective military mental health treatment for both active duty members and their families: having enough trained mental health practitioners, removing stigmatization, long waiting lists, poor referral process, limited hours, etc.
* Some common factors that can put military families at risk: young families, especially those experiencing a first military separation; families having recently moved to a new duty station; foreign born spouses; families with young children; those with lower pay grades; families without a unit affiliation; and National Guard and Reserve families

Johnson, S. J., Sherman, M. D., Hoffman, J. S., James, L. C., Johnson, P. L., Lochman, J. E., Magee, T. N., & Riggs, D. (2007). The Psychological Needs of U.S. Military Service Members and Their Families: A Preliminary Report (Rep.). American Psychological Association Presidential Task Force on Military Deployment Services for Youth, Families and Service Members.


PBS Now - http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/339/ptsd-facts.html

• 30.9% of Vietnam veterans in one study had developed PTSD during their lifetimes

• Between 1999 and 2004, the number of veterans seeking benefits for PTSD increased 79%
• In Iraq, roughly one in six combatants has experienced PTSD
• 35 percent of Iraq veterans sought psychological counseling within a year of coming home, according to the Department of Defense

National Survey on Drug Use and Health, "Male Users with Co-Occurring Serious Mental Illness and a Substance Use Disorder," Nov.11, 2004 - http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/2k4/vetsDualDX/vetsDualDX.htm

• In 2002/2003, an estimated 1.2 million male veterans were identified as suffering from serious mental illnesses. Approximately 340,000 of these individuals had co-occurring substance abuse disorders. Approximately 209,000 female veterans (13.1 percent) reported serious mental illness, and 25,000 (1.6 percent) reported co-occurring substance use disorder and SMI.