Stephen L. Robinson, Executive Director of the National Gulf War Resource Center, has authored a new report titled Hidden Toll of the War in Iraq: Mental Health and the Military (pdf). An excerpt:
The alarming number of suicides earlier this year among U.S. troops serving in Iraq has raised a red flag about the mental strain on our service men and women as they face grueling battles and a conflict with no clear end in sight. These suicides are only the most visible manifestation of the rising mental health toll from the Iraq war and other U.S. combat operations abroad. Studies indicate that troops who served in Iraq are suffering from post traumatic stress disorder and other problems brought on by their experiences on a scale not seen since Vietnam.
These figures have mental health professionals and veterans groups worried, and with good reason. At a time when our troops are working hard to answer the nation's call, their own needs remain unmet. Barriers to mental health care persist both in the field and at home, leaving mental health problems to fester.
I haven't read the report yet, but I've met Steve a few times as we participated in press conferences on veterans issues, so I'm expecting nothing less than Steve's usual good works. Read it with me.