War atrocities in Afghanistan: Who is blameworthy?
Description
When Politics Trumps Science in Military Mental Health Care
In January 2011, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigated the DVA's indefensible decision to limit veterans' access to two of its homegrown PTSD treatments --Prolonged Exposure (PE) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) -- while excluding external competitors, like EMDR, developed outside the DVA. For instance, despite billions of dollars spent by the DVA/DoD to research PTSD treatments (e.g., massage, art therapy, marijuana derivatives, etc.), no EMDR research has been conducted since the wars began -- a blatant disregard of military medicine's mission to ensure that all war veterans have unrestricted access to the highest quality mental health treatment possible.
Scientific and personal bias should never enter into the equation. The status quo is even more inexplicable when in February, 2012, the DVA informs the Congressional Budget Office that only 40 percent of VA PTSD patients successfully complete PTSD treatment -- a 60 percent wash-out rate!
In stark contrast, randomized controlled trials of EMDR in 1998 with Vietnam combat veterans demonstrated that 77 percent of veterans no longer had PTSD diagnosis after 12 sessions -- with no drop-out [2]. Promising results; however, 1998 marked the last EMDR research trial the DVA has funded. [Excerpt]
In January 2011, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigated the DVA's indefensible decision to limit veterans' access to two of its homegrown PTSD treatments --Prolonged Exposure (PE) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) -- while excluding external competitors, like EMDR, developed outside the DVA. For instance, despite billions of dollars spent by the DVA/DoD to research PTSD treatments (e.g., massage, art therapy, marijuana derivatives, etc.), no EMDR research has been conducted since the wars began -- a blatant disregard of military medicine's mission to ensure that all war veterans have unrestricted access to the highest quality mental health treatment possible.
Scientific and personal bias should never enter into the equation. The status quo is even more inexplicable when in February, 2012, the DVA informs the Congressional Budget Office that only 40 percent of VA PTSD patients successfully complete PTSD treatment -- a 60 percent wash-out rate!
In stark contrast, randomized controlled trials of EMDR in 1998 with Vietnam combat veterans demonstrated that 77 percent of veterans no longer had PTSD diagnosis after 12 sessions -- with no drop-out [2]. Promising results; however, 1998 marked the last EMDR research trial the DVA has funded. [Excerpt]
Format
Other
Language
English
Original Work Citation
Russell, M. (2012, March 23). War atrocities in Afghanistan: Who is blameworthy? Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-c-russell-phd-abpp/robert-bales-mental-health-_b_1371478.html on 3/26/2012
Citation
“War atrocities in Afghanistan: Who is blameworthy?,” Francine Shapiro Library, accessed May 17, 2024, https://francineshapirolibrary.omeka.net/items/show/21319.