|
Estimate: 56,000 active-duty troops have a gambling disorder
Bipartisan legislation would help provide treatment for veterans and active duty service members who suffer from gambling addiction. Read more at Military Times:
A bipartisan group of lawmakers is again pushing military officials to screen for gambling problems among active-duty troops, estimating that tens of thousands may be struggling with addiction and posing a potential national security risk.
On Tuesday, Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Steve Daines, R-Mont., reintroduced legislation mandating the Defense Department to develop new plans to monitor gambling problems in annual health and behavioral surveys, and put in place plans for new treatments to help individuals struggling with gambling addictions.
Companion legislation will be introduced by Rep. Suie Lee, D-Nev., in the House. It also requires an expansion of federal assistance programs for veterans struggling with gambling issues.
The National Council on Problem Gambling estimates that as many as 56,000 active-duty troops meet the criteria for gambling disorder. Warren said the move is designed “to honor the sacrifices service members and veterans make for our country” by helping individuals “get the treatment they need.”
Troops and veterans with significant gambling debts could face difficulties gaining or maintaining security clearances, due to fears that their financial situation leaves them more susceptible to blackmail.
Studies have found gambling addition is connected to a higher risk of suicide attempts, behavioral disorders, and other health concerns.
Complicating the issue are nearly 3,000 slot machines still in operation at overseas military bases, which bring in millions in revenue each year for military morale and recreation programs. Read the full article at Military Times.
Averting Crisis
One of the main reasons veterans prefer VA care is that they are surrounded by a community with similar experiences. This article from the Raleigh News & Observer follows one veteran who cares for his fellow veterans as a crisis intervention trainer:
[Gordon] Jeans has been a crisis intervention trainer for almost five years, teaching others how to deescalate tense situations. He recently partnered with suicide prevention experts at the Durham VA Health Care System through a program called Together With Veterans to support veterans in rural areas.
“(Sometimes) you get to a point where you’re venting, you’re just so mad and you’re yelling, you’re hollering and you’ve just punched a hole in the wall,” he said. “It’s not that you don’t want to calm down, it’s like a train. You know, you get a train moving even at 10 miles an hour, it’s probably gonna take a mile to stop it. It has a certain momentum.”
…
There are nearly 5 million veterans in rural communities, said Laura McCarthy, a social worker and suicide prevention coordinator at the Durham VA. About half rely on the VA for their health care.
The Office of Rural Health found rural veterans face more challenges than urban veterans, including higher rates of diabetes, high blood pressure and service-related disabilities. With fewer health care providers, rural veterans also have less access to medical care.
But being in care can save lives. The majority of veterans who have killed themselves were not enrolled in VA care, McCarthy said.
From 2005 to 2016, the suicide rate was lower among veterans in VA care (13.7 percent) than among those who were not (26 percent), the VA Suicide Data Report found.
...
Cunha recalled going to meet veterans in prison who were being released soon. After mentioning it to Jeans, he insisted on going, too.
“Here are people who are on the opposite side of the law, and Gordon made an effort to go through the prison and meet with them,” Cunha said. “All eyes were on him.”
Jeans told the veterans he knew what suffering felt like. As the incarcerated men listened, he told them it gets better and advised them to find their purpose.
“If they don’t find something to do, they’re just waiting to die,” Jeans said. “That’s a bad place to live. I’ve seen that happen in cancer patients and hospice patients; the big thing is to get a purpose.”
Cunha and Jeans shared information on treatment and housing options and ways to maintain sobriety. The men had questions, and these two had answers. Read the full article at the Raleigh News & Observer.
If you are a veteran in crisis or know a veteran in crisis:
- Dial 1-800-273-8255 and press 1 to talk to someone
- Send a text message to 838255 to connect with a VA responder
- Visit www.VeteransCrisisLine.net for additional resources
Quick Clicks
- The Chicago Crusader: An overview of VA services for veterans who have experienced military sexual trauma.
- Pacific Daily News: A VA Pacific Islands Health Care System doctor discusses opioid prescription rates and alternatives for pain management.
- Robins Air Force Base: The DOD and VA partner to create a women-centered program for servicewomen who plan to transition to civilian or Reserve/National Guard status.
- The Virginian-Pilot: A plea for new VA facilities, fast.
- Stars and Stripes: VA facilities are going smoke-free by Oct. 1....mostly...
Coming Up On Capitol Hill
House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
Intimate Partner Violence and Traumatic Brain Injury
One-third of women veterans experience intimate partner violence (IPV) compared to a quarter of the civilian women. The VAntage Point blogexplains how IPV is connected to traumatic brain injury and how the VA has responded to the needs of women veterans:
Often called domestic violence, IPV occurs when a current or former intimate partner such as a boyfriend, girlfriend or spouse harms, threatens to harm or stalks their partner.
Iverson’s basic message to women Veterans who have experienced IPV: “VA can help.”
According to the VA Women’s Health Services Office, one-third of women Veterans experience IPV in their lifetime, compared with less than a quarter of civilian women. Researchers are not sure why, says Iverson, but one reason might be that women Veterans simply “have more risk factors” for IPV, including “having parents who have experienced IPV, witnessing violence in the home and being a victim of childhood sexual or physical abuse. We know that people who’ve had these experiences in childhood are more likely to go into the military.”
Plus, a woman Veteran or service member is more likely to partner with or marry another Veteran or service member, who in turn is at greater risk of being violent with their partner.
Iverson’s recent research focuses on women Veterans who experience traumatic brain injury (TBI) as a result of IPV. “In my clinical work, I found that women are often strangled or choked by intimate partners during their assaults,” she says. “Or they might be badly punched or elbowed to the head, face, or neck, or have their head bashed against the wall.”
She notes that women may be more likely than men to experience severe symptoms from such injuries. In a study of Iraq Veterans with TBI, women reported significantly more severe health problems than men and were much more likely to be diagnosed with depression and PTSD. |
|
|
|
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment