MENTAL HEALTH IN VETERANS
INTRODUCTION We are exploring mental health in Canadian veterans and the current problems they are facing. The attention and care that veterans need during and after the war is not currently provided in a way that nurtures our veterans back to healthy stability. In this document we will explore some statistics that illuminate some of the problems veterans are facing in regards to their mental health
DATA VISUALIZATIONS & RESEARCH METHOD IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
DATA VISUALIZATIONS
MENTAL HEALTH IN VETERANS
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12-MONTH RATES OF SELECTED DISORDERS BY SEX | 2013 Regular Force members
This graph is a visual Alcohol abuse or dependence
representation of how in 2003
depression,PTSD,anxiety
Panic disorder
disorder and panic disorders were higher
Generalized anxiety disorder
in women while Post-traumatic stress disorder
alcohol abuse or dependence was
Depression
higher in men 0
2
4
6 Percent
Men
Women
8
10
MENTAL HEALTH IN VETERANS
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12-MONTH RATES OF SELECTED DISORDERS | 2002 AND 2013 Regular Force members
This graph is a visual representation of the presence of depression, PTSD and panic disorder Percent
in regular force members in 2002 versus 2013.
2002
2013
MENTAL HEALTH IN VETERANS
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MEDICAL MARIJUANA USE IN FORWARD SORTATION AREAS 600
This graph is a visual
Forward Sortation Areas
500
representation of the number of Veteran Affairs licenced
400
marijuana users in forward 300
sortation areas in canada from 2008 to 2016. This has
200
created a higher 100
accessibility to marijuana.
0 2008
2012
2015
2016
Number of Forward Sortation Areas with Licensed Medical Marijuana Users
MENTAL HEALTH IN VETERANS
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Percent of Illicit Opiod Use
ILLICIT OPIOID USE BY CANADIANS
This graph is a visual representation on the
decreased use of opioid use from 2008 to 2013.
MENTAL HEALTH IN VETERANS
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VETERANS AFFAIRS PRESCRIPTIONS COSTS PER PERSON PER YEAR This graph is a visual representation of how
Benzodiazepines
much marijuana, opioids and benzodiazepines
Opioids
prescriptions cost the Veteran Affairs per person per year
Marijuana
0
2k
4k
6k
8k
10k
12k
MENTAL HEALTH IN VETERANS
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MALE SUICIDE RATES | 1999-2011 This graph is a visual
200
representation of the number of male suicide rates from
150
1995 to 2011 compared by canadian male suicide,
100
expected amount of CAF regular force male suicide
50
and observed amount of CAF regular force male suicide.
1995-1999
2000-2004
2005-2009
2010-2011
MENTAL HEALTH IN VETERANS
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MENTAL HEALTH FACTORS FOR SUICIDES | 2014 Prior suicidal ideation or suicide attemps Diagnosed with Traumatic Brain Injury Diagnosed with PTSD Mood and Anxiety Disorder Acute Stress Disorder Panic Disorder Anxiety Dysthymia Depression Mood Disorder
This graph is a visual representation of mental health factors for suicides in 2014.
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MENTAL HEALTH FACTORS FOR SUICIDES | 2014
This graph is a visual Deaths by Suicide
representation on the amount
54
of canadian veterans that died at war in afghanistan versus by suicide after returning to Canada from the war Deaths by War
158
MENTAL HEALTH IN VETERANS
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percentage of veterans approved for benefits. Approved Declined
25%
percentage of veterans successful in appealing. Unsuccessful
75%
Successful
35% 65%
time spent waiting for appeal hearing. >7 yrs
15%
82%
time spent waiting for benefits approval.
Health Card Wait Approvals Process External Assessment
Veteran Affairs Perspective
Veteran Perspective 0
5
10
15
20
25
Time in weeks
30
35
40
0.5-3 yrs <6 mths
This series of charts breaks down the approvals process incrementally in an attempt to identify potential snags to veterans receiving help. Veterans seem to be falling through the cracks at all levels of the process, with 25% of applicants being denied benefits despite accommodations allegedly being made for over 15,000 veterans with only 98% of that applying in the first place, 454 applicants being unable to contest their denial of coverage, and 128 people waiting over seven years to finally gain approval. Another major issue is the discrepancy between how Veteran Affairs sees the approvals process versus how the veterans themselves see it -- they experience wait times twice as long as what VA has pledged to hold themselves to. Ferguson, Michael. "2014 Fall Report of the Auditor General of Canada: Chapter 3 - Mental Health Services for Veterans."
MENTAL HEALTH IN VETERANS
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Funding for veterans This grouped bar chart compares federal spending on veteransâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; programs in two consecutive years. It was interesting to contextualize how much money is spent in each sector, as well as how it has been redistributed between years.
Veteran Ombudsman
Canada Remembers
Financial Support
Healthcare + Reestablishment Services Minsky, Amy. "Invisible Wounds: Less Money to Help Veterans, More to Remember Them." Global News. Web. 17 Nov. 2016.
Disability + Death Compensation
0
500M
1B
1.5B 2013-2014
2B 2014-2015
MENTAL HEALTH IN VETERANS
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NON-NEGATIVE RESULTS IN MILITARY DRUG TESTS 4.6%
2%
Marijuana Inconclusive Cocaine
12%
Codeine Morphine MDMA
61% 23.8%
MDA Amphetamine Methamphetamine
This chart started with the inclusion of negative results, which showed that the non-negatives were so miniscule in comparison that they were not indicative of any kind of rampant drug abuse in the Canadian military. What it did indicate is that soldiers are using marijuana more than any other drug, whether recreationally or therapeutically, and that marijuana usage should be addressed in some capacity by the military. D'Aliesio, Renata. "Canadian Forces Ignored Advice to Set up Drug, Alcohol Treatment." The Globe and Mail. Web. 17 Nov. 2016.
MENTAL HEALTH IN VETERANS
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% of military casualties attributed to suicide in 2014 This chart is intended to contextualize Canadian military suicide against other countries that were engaged in Afghanistan. Canada pulled out of Afghanistan in 2014, which is why there were no military deaths -however, despite the fact soldiers are no longer embroiled in combat, the effects of war linger far beyond returning home to civilian life. The information for this chart was also difficult to pin down as the U.S’s and U.K’s military underreport their veteran suicides just as much or more than Canada’s military. "ICasualties | OEF | Afghanistan | Fatalities Details." 17 Nov. 2016. Zoroya, Gregg. "2014 Military Suicides Stay High for 5th Year Straight." USA Today. Gannett, 2015. Web. 17 Nov. 2016. Defence Statistics. "Number of Serving Soldiers and Veterans Committed Suicide ..." Web. 17 Nov. 2016.
100%
50%
41%
MENTAL HEALTH IN VETERANS
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marital status at the time of suicide 13.3%
13.3%
13.3% Never Married Common Law
30%
Legally Separated or Divorced Married
This chart illustrates a Veterans marital status at the time of suicide. The purpose of this chart is to explore one of the many life troubles that a veteran is experiencing prior to suicide to consider if it may have had a signiďŹ cant contributing eďŹ&#x20AC;ect on their mental health. Here it is shown that of a sample of 15 veterans, 30% commited suicide while still married
MENTAL HEALTH IN VETERANS
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METHODS of suicide
Asphyxiation
HANGING
53.3%
Guns 26.7%
13.3% DRUGS
6.7%
This graphic illustrates what methods veterans mostly use to commit suicide. Hanging is the most popular choice for suicide, with 53% usage in a sample of 15 veterans in 2015
MENTAL HEALTH IN VETERANS
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STRESSORS PRIOR suicide Failed Intimate Relationship
This graphic illustrates what diï¬&#x192;culties veterans were having prior to suicide. Of a sample of 15 Veterans, each may have had 1 or more stressors The most popular stressor was a failed relationship.
Failed relationship(family, friends) Suicide of someone close Physical Health Problems Death of someone close Ill family member Debt Occupational Failure Legal Problems 0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
RESEARCH METHOD ACTION PLAN
Method: Photojournalism We will be engaging veterans and their families, as well as photographers who have already conducted their own studies into the lives of veterans and the aftermath of war. Our group will be combing through existing resources and conducting our own study if an opportunity exists; given the culture of silence around mental health in the military, it would be difficult to find anyone willing to come forward. We will sift through photojournalistic ventures, such as those conducted by the Globe and Mail investigation The Unremembered, where staff photographer Michelle Siu chronicled how the families of several veterans that were lost to suicide coped in their absence. An area that we should focus on in particular would be their experiences trying to seek care, and how the process worked for them; the Globe and Mail study mostly explores the families’ sense of loss and retrospective view of what might have gone wrong, and a current view of how the Veteran Affairs process looks from the perspective of someone seeking benefits from them would help flesh out our research. Given the volume of existing photojournalistic explorations of this topic, the research could be conducted at any time and yield results quickly.