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In 2009, the Institute of Medicine was asked, by Congress, to examine the special needs of veterans returning from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and their families. The study focused on physical, psychological and other personal issues associated with this group who have undergone difficulties unlike any other war veterans including:
- Multiple deployments;
- Reservists and National Guardsmen being called to serve at an unprecedented rate;
- Severe injuries; and,
- More women and young parents on active duty.
Based on their preliminary report, the Institute of Medicine made the following recommendations to the VA and the Department of Defense:
- Estimate the number of mental health professionals needed and where they should be located to best care for the full population of returning service members and their families;
- Conduct or fund research to develop guidelines for long-term management of polytrauma and traumatic brain injury; assess the potential of third-location decompression; examine how multiple deployments may affect domestic violence; and evaluate the effectiveness of mental health treatments for women and minorities;
- Coordinate and evaluate the many existing readjustment and support programs to maximize their reach and effectiveness;
- Produce annual long-term forecasts to insure the VA will have the resources to care for and support this generation of veterans and family members throughout their lifetimes.
For more information on the IOM report, go to www.iom.edu