Military duty, which may continue for decades, is a challenging career that involves significant physical and mental strain on the body. Mental and psychiatric diseases, which can cause depression, are prevalent illnesses among military members and troops (Ghahramanlou-Holloway et al., 2018). Despite the fact that the investigations were confined to veterans from the United States of America, high prevalence levels of substance abuse problems, 5.7%, and excessive alcohol consumption, 5.4%, were recognized among older veterans (Williamson et al., 2018). The specified gap that has to be explored is the limited attention dedicated to veterans’ mental health needs, as well as the healthcare system’s inability to address such issues.
Due to the history of healthcare disparities, it is reasonable to assume that the lack of attention paid to the army’s psychological health needs derives from therapists’ lack of understanding of what warfare involves. Veterans’ need for mental health services assist themin recovering from the trauma they encountered during battle has gained prominence in recent decades (Williamson et al., 2018). Despite a paucity of studies examining real-world career ramifications, scientists suggest that service members believe that seeking mental health treatment will jeopardize their professional military prospects and careers (Ghahramanlou-Holloway et al., 2018). Therefore, the idea that few veterans pursue therapy since they are distracted by other issues confirms the lack of consideration given to the issue, implying that it has been accumulating for decades. Inequities in veteran psychotherapy have developed over time as a result of delaying psychological recovery.
People enlist in the military for a variety of reasons, including patriotism, financial support, educational possibilities, and a family history of military service. War, on the other side, is a complex event including both emotional and physical strain. Once their service is finished, veterans may feel alienated from the community, and their professional possibilities are unknown, restricting their level of living and opportunities. Furthermore, veterans can experience the impacts of mental stress, such as sadness and a sense of loss of purpose in life. These socioeconomic situations put pressure on veterans’ psychological health, with gaps in service indicating that their basic needs have not been satisfied.
Gaps in mental care access cause an increase in unfavorable psychological illnesses, which have a significant impact on the target population. Despite the fact that many programs have been developed to assist military personnel in adjusting to civilian life, wives, children, and extended family networks have relatively few alternatives (Sherman & Larsen, 2018). The lack of experts willing to commit to deliver high-quality mental care services may represent a demand-supply imbalance in veteran health care generally. Mental health issues, such as mental disease, stress disorder, and depression, can induce additional negative effect on people’s health. Due to a variety of problems and limits for family-based therapy in the Veterans Affairs healthcare system, veteran groups are pursuing and will continue to seek psychological care in public sector venues (Sherman & Larsen, 2018). The degradation of veterans’ physical and mental health highlights the critical need to develop effective techniques for balancing healthcare availability.
The proper care of veterans’ psychological health and well-being should offer a decent standard of life as well as multiple opportunities for growth and advancement. When military families transfer to civilian life, they face a variety of challenges, each with its own set of significant occupational, social, and interpersonal adaptations (Sherman & Larsen, 2018). Civilian caregivers can increase their military culture awareness by being familiar with resources and depending on them when interacting with transitioning service members (Sherman & Larsen, 2018). If left unaddressed, the mental health treatment gap can limit veterans’ capacity to be productive at work or under educational conditions. Additionally, poor results of not creating mental health services for veterans might be connected to elements such as memories, flashbacks, low mood, and concentration difficulties.
References
Ghahramanlou-Holloway, M., LaCroix, J. M., Koss, K., Perera, K. U., Rowan, A., VanSickle, M. R., Novak, L., & Trieu, T. H. (2018). Outpatient mental health treatment utilization and military career impact in the United States Marine Corps. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(4), 828. Web.
Sherman, M. D., & Larsen, J. L. (2018). Family-focused interventions and resources for veterans and their families. Psychological Services, 15(2), 146–153. Web.
Williamson, V., Stevelink, S. A., Greenberg, K., & Greenberg, N. (2018). Prevalence of mental health disorders in elderly US military veterans: a meta-analysis and systematic review. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 26(5), 534-545. Web.