Introduction
The articles selected for assessment are those by R. S. Baskas (2021), which examines how veteran students feel about the GI bill’s impact on their ability to complete their college degrees; an essay written by A. A. Campbell (2018) examines the relationship between military service beliefs and mental health problems in a representative sample of U.S. veteran students. Carras, M. C. (2018), which focuses on communication, explanation, and distraction, is another area that should be examined. Veterans with mental and behavioral health issues who play video games may benefit from advanced research on the link between gaming and mental health recovery. The strengths and challenges of military students depending on their military experience: a comprehensive assessment, published by Cox, C. W. (2019), are to be considered in the research.
There will also be a discussion of military human resources challenges to transforming human employment in Dexter’s paper, J. C. (2020), Outpatient psychiatric treatment in the United States: A review of the literature, by Fleuty, K. &. (2020). Job Resilience in the Veterans Health Administration by Ottomanelli LB-A (2019). Polytrauma care: existing procedures, problems, and future directions. Challenges faced by combat veterans in the workplace: A call for integrating basic and practical psychological Science. Shepherd, SS (2019). Communities provide systematic analysis of needs assessments for U.S. veterans and military veterans in the Southern United States, as described in Sols, P & Van Slyke, R. D. (2022) and Modeling Desert Education Veterans and Military Families in the South United States (2020). Yarborough, B. J.-S. (2018), the benefits and challenges of utilizing assistance dogs for veterans with PTSD.
Common Themes
Ballooning VA Budget
According to the articles, it appeared that the Iraq and Afghanistan wars had not yet had their full impact. VA funding increased by more than $ 200 billion (or 500 percent) from the September 11 attacks in the FY 2021 financial year. Between fiscal year 2020 and fiscal year 2021, the VA’s budget has grown by 14 percent, more than any other federal agency (Carras, 2018). With the Veterans Administration’s new approach to government spending, the Pentagon’s budget for corporate governance is now second only to the Veterans Administration’s (Campbell, 2018).
This institution is no longer available to the Department of State, USAID, the Department of Justice, or the entire intelligence community’s budgets. Another 17 billion dollars in VA funds for FY 2021 will come through the American Rescue Plan (ARP), according to the group (Van Slyke, 2020). Coronavirus-related medical assistance was approved by Congress in March 2021 and will be provided to veterans whose health is at risk or whose financial well-being is severely affected by the virus, respectively (Dexter, 2020). More than a half-trillion dollars have been added to ARP’s total budget in the last two decades. This will likely rise to $ 260 billion in FY 2022. (Ottomanelli, 2019). In his plan, Joe Biden proposes spending $2.25 trillion on new infrastructure (Van Slyke, 2020). The U.S. contributes an additional $ 18 billion to the program.
Reducing the Veteran Suicide Rate
The articles also call for Secretary McDonough to do more to educate the public about the hazards of suicide among veterans and to take preventative measures. 60,000 veterans have taken their own lives in the last decade, and 20 veterans take their own lives every single day (Malusi, 2021). There were roughly 79,000 veteran suicides between 2005 and 2017 in addition to the total number of soldiers killed in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan combined (Malusi, 2021). Public health work and the difficulties faced by veterans, service members, their families, and their families will be the focus of Joe Biden’s presidency (Sols, 2022). As soon as feasible, Secretary McDonough and President Biden should work together to execute the program’s recommendations.
Slowing the Privatization of Veterans’ Health Care
According to these articles, Secretary McDonough should balance the expenditures of VA medical facilities and the reduction of patient confidentiality protections as more and more veterans seek out private healthcare. Prior to the Veterans Care Access Act of 2014, veterans were unable to receive routine or specialized care outside of the VA system (Cox, 2019). Veterans who have to wait more than 20 days or phone for an hour or longer to get an appointment at a VA clinic can get general treatment from non-VA doctors. For special consideration, the current criteria provide for a period of 20 days and 60 minutes.
Approaches
Disorders of the Mind or of the Mind’s Conduct
According to animal studies first approach, one out of every three people has been diagnosed with some form of mental disease, and of them, 41% have been identified as having either a mental illness or behavioral abnormality (Baskas, 2021). There was a considerable increase in the number of suicide attempts among male veterans with a diagnosis of depression, depression, or alcoholism or alcohol-related issues. Diagnose and treat mental illness to lessen the risk of suicide. Mentally ill people are notoriously difficult to diagnose and treat because of their unwillingness to seek help.
Veteran drug usage is also on the rise because of an increasing demand for military service or its combination. Veterans smoked and drank more frequently than civilians. PTSD and sadness may be treated with the help of veterans who have served their country in the military (Cox, 2019). It’s possible that some people will require long-term care. Veterans with SUDs can now be more easily identified and treated with clinical guidelines and evidence-based diagnostic tools that have been designed specifically for this purpose. There are a variety of conditions that can emerge from being in the presence of or having been directly affected by anything traumatic, including shell shock, war fatigue, and the more general term posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
For non-veterans, the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is three times higher than for veterans. There are many reasons that lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is also known as post-traumatic stress disorder (Carras, 2018). Four symptoms are used by psychiatrists to make six diagnoses: unpleasant symptoms, relapses, avoidance of distant reminders, bad thoughts and sensations that no one can trust, and awareness and repeating symptoms (exaggeration) (Van Slyke, 2020). There is a strong association between PTSD and traumatic brain injury (TBI), war trauma, difficulties sleeping, drug use, and pain, all of which should be investigated. Psychotherapy, long-term exposure therapy, and family therapy are all available options. Treatment options include counseling, antidepressants, and other pharmaceuticals available through your local pharmacy. Veterans can be identified with the use of accurate testing instruments and evidence-based guidelines that are readily available.
TBI
The second approach employed in the articles is Traumatic brain injury (TBI), a structural injury produced by trauma and a physical impairment of brain function owing to external stimuli. Minor convulsions and traumatic brain injury (TBI) symptoms such as headache, slowed mobility, weariness, irritability, and memory loss might be difficult to detect. Depressive disorders, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, are by far the most common form of illness. At a rate of 14 percent, veteran stress is identified (Campbell, 2018). According to the NAMI2 study, those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have a lower suicide risk than those suffering from clinical depression for the first time (Carras, 2018). Eighty to ninety percent of persons with significant depressive disorders can be treated with medication, therapy, and electroconvulsive treatment. 8/10 veterans are successfully treated with treatment approaches such as Translation of depression efforts. Assessment and intervention are critical because 18 to 22 veterans commit suicide daily (Fleuty, 2020). It is important for health care personnel in private and public settings to be aware of the patient’s military history and recognize risk factors regardless of their age.
Veterans’ physical and emotional well-being must be addressed by healthcare practitioners. A wide range of neurological treatments, organ transplants, and medical rehabilitation are required for wounded warriors who have been wounded in battle. They need these treatments. Veteran re-entry into the military is difficult for many reasons, including a lack of communication skills, physical damage, or a mental disease resulting from military service (Ottomanelli, 2019). Physical, social, mental, and emotional activities all play a role in veterans’ return to civilian life as part of the goal of rehabilitation therapy. In order to land a new job, experienced workers must acquire new skills and expertise. Rehab strives to enhance the lives of veterans and to make them happier.
It might be tough for veterans to adjust to civilian life and learn new skills once a work visit has taken place. Rehabilitated veterans learn to give back to their communities while also becoming accustomed to their new surroundings and circumstances. Agent Orange, tainted drinking water, nuclear radiation, X-rays and workplace dangers such as asbestos, lead and chemical and biological weapons continue to pose health concerns to veterans many years after the initial attack. Long-term health difficulties were suffered by Vietnam War soldiers who had been exposed to Agent Orange. While many veterans suffer from immediate adverse effects, the long-term health consequences of exposure to toxic substances are yet unknown. The risk of contracting infections like rabies among individuals stationed in Iraq or Afghanistan falls under this category. Accurate medical history and referral are critical to determining the appropriate diagnosis and treatment.
Common Weaknesses
The studies affected by the COVID-19 outbreak should have the opportunity to apply for benefits under the Post 9/11 GI Bill within a timeframe set by the VA. a 12-month extension on the use of the Post 9/11 GI Bill (Baskas, 2021). It is important that after September 2021, the VA continues to postpone the collection of veterans’ medical bills outstanding until the end date. Ending sexual harassment in the military should be a top goal for the Department of Veterans Affairs. US female population is increasing at an alarming rate.
310,000 women have been added to the military since 2000, and the number of women receiving VA health care has tripled, going from 160,000 to 475,000 since 2000. (201,000). In the United States military, women today make up 16% of the personnel (Sols, 2022). In contrast, the organization’s 27 members who identify as LGBT (Yarborough, 2018). According to the 2020 GAO28 report, the VA’s continuous collection of sexual orientation and gender identity data impedes its ability to monitor the health outcomes of LGBT military veterans (Cox, 2019). More than half of women in uniform in the United States have been sexually abused while serving their country, and many of them have decided not to re-enroll because of this (Ward, 2021). When the VA agreed to evaluate its rules in April 2021, it took 31 actions to enhance the treatment of LGBTQ women, as well as almost a quarter-half-a-million colored veterans. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs should take into account the expanding benefits for veterans who choose not to register because of sexual harassment or beatings.
VA tagline “Caring for a Military Veteran and Widow and orphan” should be amended by the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Assuming Secretary McDonough nominates his successors, he will be responsible for allocating funds to fill the department’s 50,000 open positions and repair its aging infrastructure, which is an average of 58 years old. 35 (Van Slyke, a year later) As a part of a team, he must make sure that his decisions reflect the diversity of working people and veterans. VA and DOD should work together to develop policies and programs that help service members alter society. VA health care, educational opportunities, and housing benefits should be available to veterans thanks to the VA and DOD. Many resources are available to assist a returning service member once he or she has left the military.
Conclusion
The VA is facing unprecedented challenges, but no other country delivers as many benefits to its citizens as the United States does. In 1776, Congress enacted a statute that made the pensions of soldiers who were injured or unable to work due to their service payable to them. The administration of Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State John McDonough, and his staff must rapidly address these challenges. Their answers must include input from 76 current members of Congress, 53 Republicans and 41 Democrats in addition to a number of veteran organizations like the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). People who go to battle not only put themselves at risk but also guarantee that those who return from war are cared for throughout their entire lives. A whopping 22 million Americans have served in the military, according to current estimates.
As a result, future health care providers must be ready to address the unique requirements of veterans. Training on veteran health issues and the incorporation of veteran content into school curricula will lead to better outcomes for veterans and better treatment for those employed in the United States. It is apparent that health workers need to be better informed about health issues because so many veterans rely on the services of public health facilities. Healthcare personnel and veterans must be educated on a variety of health-related topics, including enhancing the quality of veterinary care, at all stages of their careers and across their respective countries. Education programs targeted at improving the teaching abilities of existing and future instructors will help improve the quality of care for veterans.
References
Baskas, R. S. (2021). Military veterans’ perceptions of barriers to college completion using the GI Bill (Doctoral dissertation, Walden University). Web.
Campbell, A. A. (2018). Association between perceptions of military service and mental health problems in a nationally representative sample of United States military veterans. Psychological trauma: theory, research, practice, and policy, 10(4), 482. Web.
Carras, M. C. (2018). Connection, meaning, and distraction: A qualitative study of video game play and mental health recovery in veterans treated for mental and/or behavioral health problems. Social Science & medicine, 216, 124-132. Web.
Cox, C. W. (2019). Military students’ strengths and challenges based on their military experiences: an integrative review. Journal of nursing education, 58(7), 392-400. Web.
Dexter, J. C. (2020). Human resources challenges of military to civilian employment transitions. Career development international, 25(5), 481-500. Web.
Fleuty, K. &. (2020). Remote access therapy for veterans with psychological problems: Current state of the art. Military medicine, 185(7), e1046-e1050. Web.
Ottomanelli, L. B.-A. (2019). Vocational rehabilitation in the Veterans Health Administration Polytrauma system of care: current practices, unique challenges, and future directions. The journal of head trauma rehabilitation, 34(3), 158-166. Web.
Shepherd, S. S. (2021). The challenges of military veterans in their transition to the workplace: A call for integrating basic and applied psychological Science. Perspectives on psychological Science,, 16(3), 590-613. Web.
SolĂs, P. &. (2022). Modeling education deserts for veterans and military families in the southern united states. Annals of the American association of geographers, 112(4), 1084-1107. Web.
Van Slyke, R. D. (2020). Communities serve: a systematic review of need assessments on US veteran and Military-Connected populations. Armed forces & society, 46(4), 564-594. Web.
Yarborough, B. J.-S. (2018). Benefits and challenges of using service dogs for veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder. Psychiatric rehabilitation journal, 41(2), 118. Web.