Under the Servicemembers Mental Health Improvement Act (H.R. 3011) introduced this week, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) could be required to create a mental health task force to recommend a path of address for issues facing the U.S. military.
Between 2016 and 2020, the DoD reported 456,293 active duty servicemembers diagnosed with mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Reports have put servicemembers at around five times more likely to suffer from major depression and 15 times more likely to face PTSD than civilians, resulting in greater numbers of hospital stays and outpatient actions.
For years, reports have flagged these issues as a growing, major concern for the military.
“As the co-chair of the Military Mental Health Task Force and a Navy veteran, I am proud to introduce the Servicemember’s Mental Health Improvement Act, which would establish a mental health task force at the Department of Defense,” said U.S. Rep Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA), chief deputy whip and one of the authors of the bill. “This bipartisan legislation is critical to developing solutions that alleviate the mental health crisis plaguing our servicemembers and their families. I look forward to working with my colleagues to get this bill signed into law.”
He was joined in this by U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-WA), his co-chair on the Congressional Military Mental Health Task Force, and U.S. Reps. Rob Wittman (R-VA) and Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA).
“In one of my meetings with a military leader, I asked him what kept him up at night,” Kilmer said. “He didn’t say ‘budget cuts’ or ‘terrorists.’ Rather, he told me, ‘The thing that keeps me up most is mental health. I’ve lost more soldiers to suicide than I have to enemy combatants.’ That’s got to change.”
Getting data is the first step, according to Kilmer. That way, his cohorts added, Congress will be more capable of getting servicemembers the help they need for challenges on and off the battlefield. For this reason, the action has been endorsed by mental health associations across America, including the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, AMSUS, and the Society of Federal Health Professionals. Military groups have also come out in support of the Servicemembers Mental Health Improvement Act, from the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States to the National Military Family Association and the Wounded Warrior Project.
However, Houlahan noted that modern efforts need to go beyond mere data and pitched this legislation as the start of something new and comprehensive.
“For too long, we have seemingly required report after report, study after study, on the matter without really delivering any tangible or long-term action,” Houlahan said. “This has left the services to develop their own solutions, often resulting in unsynchronized and disparate efforts. The last comprehensive study and review of resilience programs was conducted over a decade ago. It is past time to refocus our efforts to provide a clear, evidence-based path forward for our military members. This bill is a step toward ensuring a cohesive, coordinated effort to increase awareness, training, and access to mental health programs.”