TOMORROW: Armed Forces Committee to Consider Rep. Carson’s Military Suicide Reduction Act

TOMORROW: Armed Services Committee to Consider Rep. Carson's Military Suicide Reduction Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The House Armed Services Committee tomorrow will consider Congressman André Carson's Military Suicide Reduction Act, legislation that ensures active duty service members receive adequate evaluation and treatment for mental health challenges incurred while on deployment. The bill will be considered as part of the mark-up for the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which authorizes funding for the Department of Defense.

In 2012, 349 of our brave men and women in uniform took their own lives, surpassing for the first time the number killed in combat in Afghanistan. This 15% increase over the year prior illustrates a well known fact—despite efforts at the Department of Defense to increase screening, counseling and awareness, the U.S. military continues to struggle with the stigma associated with mental illness. As a result, service members consistently resist treatment and hide warning signs, attributing underperformance in combat and difficulty readjusting to civilian life to less serious causes.

The Military Suicide Reduction Act expands on current pre- and post-deployment mental health screenings by requiring each service member to receive evaluations while deployed in combat zones. By mandating regular screening during deployment, when injuries and trauma are most likely to occur, the likelihood of early detection and treatment are significantly increased.

"We are quick to diagnose and treat service members who are injured in combat, with medics rushing to those who are struck by enemy IEDs or gunfire," said Congressman Carson. "But when it comes to the mental health injuries our service members face, we abandon them through months of deployment to deal with post traumatic stress disorder, depression and suicidal thoughts."

It is well documented that mental health issues, if left untreated, contribute not only to suicide, but to higher rates of domestic violence and substance abuse—especially when combined with financial and relationship difficulties that are common among deploying service members.

Congressman Carson went on to say, "The invisible wounds of war are costing us gravely, but it is within our power right now to change that and start saving lives."