A Psychiatrist's Perspective: The Assault at Fort Hood and the Military's Mental Health Crisis
Part 1 of this article dealt with the tragedy at Fort Hood that has brought attention to a mentally troubled and most likely terrorist psychiatrist, Hasan, who opened fire killing 13 American soldiers and wounding 42. Part 1 of the article discussed Hasan's unstable mental health and also elucidated the startling statistics of the increasing numbers of soldiers suffering from PTSD and substance abuse in the military. Many of the soldiers are not receiving the treatment they need to cope with their mental health conditions. Why is this important?
There were 142 suicides in the military in 2008 and it looks like the numbers will be higher for 2009. These soldiers are in desperate need of help. These statistics in combination with the Fort Hood tragedy are a wake up call to the military to take proactive measures to address the mental health problems of their troops. Why have they not been getting the help they need?
Continued on the next page
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