special report
Broken Warriors
In the midst of two long wars, the military is facing enormous challenges at home. In this series, Nextgov examines the mental health consequences for troops and their families after nearly a decade of repeated deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq.
Poor Mental Health Is a ‘Signature Scar’ of Afghanistan and Iraq Wars
April 24 Veterans of those conflicts could require long-term care, according to Defense health surveillance report.
VA Gives Tranquilizers to 30 Percent of PTSD Patients, Despite Warnings
March 18 Benzodiazepines can increase rather than reduce fear, worsening recovery.
Soldiers Waiting for Medical Discharge ‘Languish’ in Disability System
March 11 Long wait can exacerbate PTSD symptoms, Army IG finds.
Report chronicles the rising burden of military mental health care
December 10, 2012 Mental disorders accounted for 63 percent increase in hospital visits during 11 years of war.
AA works and it’s free, yet Pentagon snubs the substance abuse program
August 16, 2012 Defense Department is coping with a surge of drug and alcohol addiction.
TRICARE substance abuse treatment falls short, experts say
August 15, 2012 The military insurance program covers 20-day inpatient rehabilitation at contract facilities.
TRICARE outsources addiction treatment with little oversight
August 14, 2012 Congress ordered Defense to treat drug and alcohol abuse ‘epidemic’ at military facilities.
Pentagon’s $18 million tool for assessing traumatic brain injury fails to deliver
July 18, 2012 Defense officials concede their description of the software was inaccurate.
Defense and VA can’t track PTSD treatments, report finds
July 17, 2012 Not everyone is getting the help they need, Institute of Medicine report says.
Mental illness is the leading cause of hospitalization for active-duty troops
May 17, 2012 Defense and VA spent nearly $2 billion on psychotropic drugs during the past decade.
Army warns doctors against using certain drugs in PTSD treatment
April 25, 2012 Benzodiazepines, which include Xanax and Valium, could increase aggravate combat stress symptoms.
Inability to track prescriptions adds to Marine drug abuse problem, IG finds
April 11, 2012 The Defense electronic health record system won't be able to pinpoint abuse until 2014.
Janice Bridges: Coping with a son's suicide by helping others
December 22, 2011
Military continues off-label drug use, despite concerns
September 28, 2011 Defense Department's inability to track prescriptions compounds the difficulty of measuring adverse medical effects.
VA awards new contract for debunked PTSD drug
August 25, 2011
VA spent $717 million on a drug deemed as effective as a placebo
August 22, 2011 Studies raise questions about widespread use and high cost of anti-psychotic drugs to treat post-traumatic stress disorder.
Defense panel backs controversial drug treatments, but can't track impact
August 5, 2011 Military Health System computers don't flag adverse reactions or potential abuse.
Army reports significant jump in stress levels for combat troops
May 19, 2011 But the latest mental health survey minimizes depression compared to post-deployment assessments.
