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Emily Martin
Dr. Leporati
ENGL 1102
31 March 2015
Stigma, Scientific Studies, and Support: Combating Mental Illnesses in Military Veterans
Each year, approximately 8,000 military veterans commit suicide (Basu). This number
equates to 22 suicides a day, or a veteran taking his own life once every 65 minutes (Basu). No
matter how the numbers are spun, it is obvious that the suicide rate among service members is, to
quote former defense secretary Leon Panetta, “an epidemic” (Basu). Recently, the Academy
Award-winning and critically acclaimed movie American Sniper has shed light on this grave
issue. In the movie, Chris Kyle, a lethal military sniper, experiences difficulty adjusting back to
civilian lifestyle after returning home from Iraq. In hopes to combat his trauma, he devotes his
life to helping other veterans cope with their mental illnesses. During one of these therapy
sessions, Kyle is murdered by one of the men he is trying to help. Although American Sniper has
increased public awareness about what can happen when mental illnesses go untreated, the
question of how to effectively treat veterans suffering from mental illnesses is another concern.
Whereas some are convinced that Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and other illnesses are fabricated
by veterans seeking sympathy and monetary compensation, experts maintain that mental health
is not only a serious issue, but also that the misconception surrounding it reinforces its stigma. As
a result of the epidemic of preventable deaths amongst military veterans, there should be more
resources and treatment available to protect and preserve the psychological wellbeing of brave
men and women who are sacrificing their lives in order to protect and serve others.
The combined risk of death and injury to military veterans and their comrades, absence
from loved ones, and the accumulated psychological toll of prolonged exposure to dangerous
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environments has resulted in the onset and increased severity of a variety of serious mental
health concerns (Cornish). Out of the 2.5 million military troops that have served in the conflicts
with Iraq and Afghanistan between 2001 and 2011, almost a million have been diagnosed with
one or more mental health issues, thereby increasing mental health diagnoses among active duty
service personnel by 65 percent (Cornish). Experts believe that this level of magnitude and
persistence of psychological disorders amongst veterans despite the availability of treatments is
due to the fact that most veterans who are experiencing mental health concerns are warring of
seeking psychological assistance (Cornish). Specifically, some veterans express an actual or
