Psychoanalytic Association Position Statement: “When the War Comes Home”

During APsaA's recent annual meeting held in Denver from June 20-24, the members of the association issued a positions statement, “When the War Comes Home”, regarding the mental health care needs of veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars.

During APsaA's recent annual meeting held in Denver from June 20-24, the members of the association issued a positions statement, “When the War Comes Home”, regarding the mental health care needs of veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars.

APsaA joins with other mental health professional organizations to urge strong and comprehensive government and private support for the mental health treatment of returning veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and their families.

A recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine estimates that one third of all returning veterans are suffering from serious mental health and psychosocial disorders. Of those, 56% were diagnosed with more than one disorder including post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and substance abuse. The highest rate of mental health problems was among veterans in the 18-24 year old range, often those most exposed to front line combat.

As an organization of over 3,000 psychoanalysts committed to helping those who have suffered psychological problems often related to trauma, APsaA believes that any lack of acknowledgement and appropriate treatment of this critical mental health issue will have a devastating impact on America's soldiers, their families, their children, and society at large.

"Each wounded soldier returns to a wounded family and wounded children. Our communities are changed forever, and as psychoanalysts we know of the damage transmitted transgenerationally," remarked APsaA President Lynne Moritz, M.D.

Psychoanalytic research on transgenerational transmission of trauma has shown that children of traumatized and depressed parents often develop serious psychological and behavioral problems themselves. APsaA supports effective, comprehensive and well funded efforts to address this critical public health issue.

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