The number of suicides by military personnel has soared, according to the Navy Times, which also says that approximately one in six service men and women now take psychiatric drugs to combat the stress they are feeling after years of war and longer deployments. These are frightening numbers – and will likely put the already stressed Veterans Administration (VA) to test.
Military suicides up
The number of military service men and women who commit suicide has increased dramatically since the War on Terror began in 2001. According to the Times, the United States Army's official suicide rate increased from one out of every 100,000 soldiers in 2001 to 23 out of every 100,000 in 2009 and the Marine Corp's suicide rate increased from 16.7 out of every 100,000 soldiers in 2001 to 24 out of every 100,000 soldiers in 2009. These numbers are much higher than those previously reported by the VA – which was accused of not reporting accurate suicide counts to the public during the Bush Administration.
Military drug use up
In addition to military suicides, military drug use has steadily increased – especially for antipsychotic drugs such as Zyprexa and Seroquel to combat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms such as nightmares, nervousness and anger. Orders for antipsychotic drugs increased by over 200 percent from 2001 to 2009. Orders for the following drugs also increased during that time:
The Times reports that many troops are mixing pills obtained by the government to create drug “cocktails” even though no conclusive clinical testing exists on the effects that these cocktails have on the body and the mind – leaving Veterans medical malpractice attorneys leery of whether the Veterans Administration be able to handle likely addictions when veterans return home.
VA med mal
Unfortunately, the VA's shortcomings may be more expansive. It's no secret that medical malpractice, medical negligence and medical misdiagnosis at VA centers across the nation are increasing due to a lack of qualified staffing, facilities in disrepair and simply too much volume – which will only increase in the next few years.
VA med mal lawyers caution veterans who may have medical malpractice claims against the government that these are handled very differently than they are against traditional hospitals and the doctors, nurses and other medical and healthcare personnel who practice there. If you've been injured, make sure to contact a veteran med mal attorney who understands how the process works.