Expressing support for the designation of the month of June 2019 as "National Post-Traumatic Stress Injury Awareness Month" and June 27, 2019, as "National Post-Traumatic Stress Injury Awareness Day".

IV 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. RES. 455 Expressing support for the designation of the month of June 2019 as ‘‘Na- tional Post-Traumatic Stress Injury Awareness Month’’ and June 27, 2019, as ‘‘National Post-Traumatic Stress Injury Awareness Day’’. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JUNE 20, 2019 Mr. PETERS (for himself and Mr. MAST) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provi- sions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned RESOLUTION Expressing support for the designation of the month of June 2019 as ‘‘National Post-Traumatic Stress Injury Aware- ness Month’’ and June 27, 2019, as ‘‘National Post- Traumatic Stress Injury Awareness Day’’. Whereas the brave men and women of the Armed Forces, who proudly serve the United States, risk their lives to protect the freedom of the people of the United States and deserve the investment of every possible resource to ensure their lasting physical, mental, and emotional well- being; Whereas more than 2,770,000 members of the Armed Forces have deployed overseas since the events of September 11, VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:30 Jun 21, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR455.IH HR455 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HRES 455 IH 2001, and have served in places such as Afghanistan and Iraq; Whereas the current generation of men and women in the Armed Forces has sustained a high rate of operational deployments, with many members of the Armed Forces serving overseas multiple times, placing those members at high risk of experiencing combat stress; Whereas, when left untreated, exposure to traumatic combat stress can lead to post-traumatic stress injury, currently referred to in the ‘‘Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders’’ as post-traumatic stress disorder (in this preamble referred to as ‘‘PTSD’’); Whereas men and women of the Armed Forces and veterans who served before September 11, 2001, remain at risk for post-traumatic stress injury; Whereas the Secretary of Veterans Affairs reports that ap- proximately— (1) 11 to 20 percent of veterans who served in Oper- ation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom have PTSD in a given year; (2) 12 percent of veterans who served in the Persian Gulf war have PTSD in a given year; and (3) 30 percent of veterans who served in the Viet- nam era have had PTSD in their lifetimes; Whereas many combat stress injuries remain unreported, undiagnosed, and untreated due to a lack of awareness about post-traumatic stress injury and the persistent stigma associated with mental health conditions; Whereas exposure to trauma during service in the Armed Forces can lead to post-traumatic stress injury; VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:30 Jun 21, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR455.IH HR455 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HRES 455 IH Whereas post-traumatic stress injury significantly increases the risk of anxiety, depression, suicide, homelessness, and drug- and alcohol-related disorders and deaths, especially if left untreated; Whereas public perceptions of post-traumatic stress injury or other mental health disorders create unique challenges for veterans seeking employment; Whereas the Department of Defense, the Department of Vet- erans Affairs, and veterans service organizations, as well as the larger medical community, both private and public, have made significant advances in the identification, pre- vention, diagnosis, and treatment of post-traumatic stress injury and the symptoms of post-traumatic stress injury, but many challenges remain; Whereas increased understanding of post-traumatic stress in- jury can help to eliminate the stigma attached to this mental health issue; Whereas additional efforts are needed to find further ways to eliminate the stigma associated with post-traumatic stress injury, including— (1) an examination of how post-traumatic stress in- jury is discussed in the United States; and (2) a recognition that post-traumatic stress injury is a common injury that is treatable; Whereas post-traumatic stress injury can result from any number of stressors other than combat, including rape, sexual assault, battery, torture, confinement, child abuse, car accidents, train wrecks, plane crashes, bombings, or natural disasters, and affects approximately 8,000,000 adults in the United States annually; VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:30 Jun 21, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR455.IH HR455 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •HRES 455 IH Whereas the diagnosis now known as PTSD was first defined by the American Psychiatric Association in 1980 to com- monly and more accurately understand and treat vet- erans who had endured severe traumatic combat stress; Whereas the word ‘‘disorder’’ perpetuates the stigma associ- ated with combat stress; and Whereas the designation of a National Post-Traumatic Stress Injury Awareness Month and a National Post-Traumatic Stress Injury Awareness Day will raise public awareness about issues related to post-traumatic stress injury, re- duce the associated stigma, and help ensure that those individuals suffering from the invisible wounds of war re- ceive proper treatment: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 1 (1) supports the designation of ‘‘National Post- 2 Traumatic Stress Injury Awareness Month’’ and 3 ‘‘National Post-Traumatic Stress Injury Awareness 4 Day’’; 5 (2) supports the efforts of the Secretary of Vet- 6 erans Affairs and the Secretary of Defense, as well 7 as the entire medical community, to educate mem- 8 bers of the Armed Forces, veterans, the families of 9 members of the Armed Forces and veterans, and the 10 public about the causes, symptoms, and treatment of 11 post-traumatic stress injury; 12 (3) supports efforts by the Secretary of Vet- 13 erans Affairs and the Secretary of Defense to foster 14 cultural change around the issue of post-traumatic 15 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:30 Jun 21, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR455.IH HR455 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 5 •HRES 455 IH stress injury, understanding that personal inter- 1 actions can save lives and advance treatment; 2 (4) welcomes the efforts of the National Center 3 for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder of the Depart- 4 ment of Veterans Affairs and local Vet Centers (as 5 defined in section 1712A(h) of title 38, United 6 States Code) to provide assistance to veterans who 7 are suffering from the effects of post-traumatic 8 stress injury; 9 (5) encourages officers of the Armed Forces to 10 support appropriate treatment of men and women of 11 the Armed Forces who suffer from post-traumatic 12 stress injury; 13 (6) recognizes the impact of post-traumatic 14 stress injury on the spouses and families of members 15 of the Armed Forces and veterans; and 16 (7) respectfully requests that the Clerk of the 17 House transmit a copy of this resolution to the Sec- 18 retary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of De- 19 fense. 20 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:30 Jun 21, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR455.IH HR455 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS