Rep. Vicky Hartzler visits Vet Center in Columbia
Rep. Vicky Hartzler was in Columbia on Monday visiting the Vet Center off of Rangeline Street.
She will continue her commitment to post-traumatic stress disorder awareness.
In recent years, the increasing suicide rates among Veterans and active duty military members has brought predictors of suicide with specific relevance to these populations to the forefront of the research in this area.
The U.S. Department of Affairs says about 7 or 8 of every 100 people will have PTSD at some point in their lives.
“Well, we’ve already passed nine bills dealing with veterans around memorial day week and I’m the co-sponsor of several of those trying to make sure that they get the services they need and looking at the issue,” said Rep. Hartzler.
About 8 million adults have PTSD during a given year. This is only a small portion of those who have gone through a trauma.
The Vet Center in Columbia is doing what it can to provide veterans with programs to help with PTSD.
In 2008, the RAND Corporation, Center for Military Health Policy Research, published a population-based study that examined the prevalence of PTSD among previously deployed Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom (Afghanistan and Iraq) Servicemembers (11). PTSD was assessed using the PCL, as in the Gulf War Veterans study. Among the 1,938 participants, the prevalence of current PTSD was 13.8%.
Hartzler says, “I feel like we’ve got to step up and renew our efforts to make sure that every veteran is being reached and that they’re being provided with the services that can help them.”
Hartzler is currently on the House Armed Services Committee.
She also serves as the ranking member of the Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee and is a member of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee.
