1. Orientation Many in need don’t seek help: According to Army, only 40% screen positive for serious emotional problems seek help from mental health professional (Mental Health Advisory Team IV: Operation Iraq Freedom, 2007) Statistics from Rand Corporation are worse, only 30% veterans with PTSD or depression seek help from the VA health system (Invisible Wounds of War, 2008)

2. Orientation Brain injuries linked to PTSD: According to New England Journal of Medicine, 15% of Iraq soldiers (US) had concussions or other mild TBI while on active duty. Notably, these soldiers were more likely to have PTSD 3 months after returning home than soldiers w/o brain injuries

3. Orientation Brain injuries linked to PTSD: Soldiers who reported an injury that caused loss of consciousness, 44% had PTSD 3 months after returning home (Hoge et al., 2008)

4. PTSD General Stats/Combat PTSD * 70% adults have experience some type of traumatic event, at least once in their lifetime, about 223.4 million people * Up to 20% go on to have PTSD, as of today, that’s 31.3 million people have had or are struggling with PTSD now * An estimated 1out of 10 women develop PTSD, women about 2x more likely to have PTSD when compared to men 50% of all outpatient mental health patients have PTSD in Some form

5. PTSD General Stats/Combat PTSD Lifetime occurrence (prevalence) in combat veterans 10-30% Past year alone number increased 50%, that’s just diagnosed cases Studies estimate that 1 in every 5 military personnel returning from Iraq and Afghanistan has PTSD 20% have been deployed in past 6 years have PTSD, that’s over 300,000 17% of combat troops are women; 71% of female military personnel develop PTSD due to sexual assault within the ranks

6. Suicide Rate Suicide rate increasing among the active duty Army National Guard and Reserve, even though suicide among soldiers on active duty decreased in 2010, the number in Army National Guard and Reserve saw a major increase (DOD, 2011) Suicide increasing for returning service members. Preliminary data from VA suicide rate among 19-29 male veterans who left military rose 26% from 2005 to 2007 and the rate climbed to record highs by 2009 (2010)

7. Veterans Resistant to Seek Help Some recognize something is wrong but are cautious about who they tell and the amount of details that they share: they may leave things out They “bite the bullet” and/or “suck it up and drive on” which means, that they will ignore all dangerous signs of the illness: during initial stages, if faced could have meaningful intervention and help a help veteran avoid other related problems, like self-medication through alcohol and drug abuse in some cases

8. Veterans Resistant to Seek Help The veteran is actually not aware that he/she has changed or is acting any differently. This is sometimes called denial: Due to many reasons a veteran may believe there is nothing with them, or may be afraid what might happen to them or their families. Veterans may be concerned about being invalidated or minimized if they “speak up”: Since veterans have become experts at “sucking it up” and if they seek help, they are afraid of being told its “all in your head” or appear to be weak; then he/she will not seek help

9. Veterans Resistant to Seek Help Feeling overwhelmed and not knowing a specific person to contact to seek help: Even when a vet is ready and willing to seek help they are overwhelmed at the lack of “personal” contact when seeking help or may not know where to go for help; so for the veteran it will be easier not to seek help rather than try to figure where to go.

10. Military Divorce Rate Military divorce rate has reached its highest level since 1999 nearly 30,000 marriage ended in fiscal 2011 Army: 3.7% and the Navy’s 3.6% are the highest for either service since 2004. Air Force rate of 3.9% is the highest in more than 2 decades. Nearly 5% of marriages among enlisted ended in divorce this year. Marine Corps divorce rate of 3.8% remained the same as of 2010. Split marriages were common among Women across the military, with nearly 1 to 10 marriages ending this year

11. List of Agencies for Assistance Border Region Behavioral Health Center Bethany House 1500 Pappas St.819 Hidalgo St (956) 794-3089(956) 791-1102 Veteran Service OfficeVeterans Administration 1110 Victoria St., Suite 1086551 Star Ct (956) 523-43990(956) 523-7850 Laredo Community CollegeSouth Texas Food Bank 1 West End Washington1907 Freight (956) 764-5768(956) 763-7457 Texas A&M International UniversityLaredo Veteran Center 5200 University Blvd.6999 McPherson Rd, Suite 102 (956) 326-2254(956) 723-5680

12. List of Agencies for Assistance Methodist Health MinistriesVolunteers Serving the Needs 1220 McClelland1202 Salinas Ave (956) 206-0587(956) 334-2105 Casa de MiserecordiaSTACADA P.O. Box 4301754101 Juarez (956) 712-9591(956) 2857446 Laredo Veterans CoalitionSCAN 1 West End Washington2387 E. Saunders (956) 726-1008(956) 724-3177 Texas WorkforceDisabled American Veterans 2389 E. Saunders6999 McPherson, Suite 102 (956) 794-6496(956) 723-4680