SelectPlusTreating the Unseen Wounds of WarTreating the Unseen Wounds of WarThe Associated PressCivilians are offering to help the Pentagon handle the growing mental health needs of troops. AP's National Security Correspondent Sagar Meghani reports. (May 25)(NAT UP explosion EM 4456 16:01:25 DV Soldier Health) aside from the physical toll of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq has come a MENTAL cost (soldiers on patrol) Depression, suicide, and marital problems are plaguing the military on a scale not seen since Vietnam (Pentagon exterior) the Pentagon's been in beg-borrow-and-steal mode to get more mental health professionals...but just doesn't have enough therapists to handle the load (GRAPHIC: see below)1431 uniformed, active-duty, 3,000 under TRICARE) only 14-hundred in uniform, on active duty, plus about 3-thousand available under the military's health care network) Brig. Gen.(Ret.) Stephen Xenakis, psychiatrist 12:34:52 DC ARMY MENTAL HEALTH "Much is being done by the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs. But the need to help these men and women goes far beyond what any government agency can do." (random street scene of people walking) which is where the civilian world comes in SOT: Dr. Barbara Romberg, Give An Hour founder 12:42:22 DC ARMY MENTAL HEALTH "There are over 400,000 mental health professionals in our great country. Clearly, we have the resources to meet this challenge." (Romberg at podium wide 12:37:30 DC ARMY MENTAL HEALTH) Psychologist Barbara Romberg founded Give An Hour, which asks mental health workers to do just that..volunteer an hour to help troops and their families (Chirby cutaway 13:02:51 DC DOCTOR MENTAL HEALTH ) Psychologist Brenna Chirby's been doing it for a year SOT: Dr. Brenna Chirby, civilian psychologist 12:58:59 DC DOCTOR MENTAL HEALTH it's only an hour of your time, in a week, how can you not give that to these men and women that are you know going oversees and fighting for us. (cutaway of Give an Hour sign 12:37:20 DC ARMY MENTAL HEALTH) about 1200 professionals are working through Give an Hour to provide help..and the group hopes to add some 40,000 (FILE troops) it's the biggest of many groups across the country offering varying levels of treatment..from counseling to yoga (Chirby cutaway) and Chirby says the need won't go away soon SOT: Dr. Brenna Chirby, civilian psychologist 1:01:07 DC DOCTOR MENTAL HEALTH "Soldiers are still going over and soldiers are still coming back and families and children are still being affected." While officials here at the Pentagon acknowledge the volunteer groups do give troops and families more options for treatment, it doesn't endorse them...saying if civilians are willing to help, they might want to join the military own network of health care providers, instead of doing it on their own. Sagar Meghani, The Associated Press, The Pentagon
