Introduction
Veterans of the armed forces today are given medical treatment that is often of low quality. This is because most of them cannot pay for high-quality medical care. The price a person is prepared to pay for therapeutic services determines the level of care offered to this demographic. For instance, a person who is ready to spend a lot of money on medical treatment can get better care than a veteran who cannot afford such costs (McClendon et al., 2020). This also holds true for health outcomes since they improve in direct proportion to the level of treatment received.
To the degree that veterans’ health state does not adversely affect their lives, the quality of treatment and results now provided to them must be enhanced. Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) should receive treatment to the point where their symptoms do not interfere with their possibility to work in their professions or enjoy fulfilling relationships with their families.
Problem
Nowadays, almost all PTSD patients struggle with deteriorating health and other conditions, including stress, despair, and anxiety. The majority of them also have physical wounds to various areas of their bodies, which makes them remember the terrible incident they were a part of or observed (Bannister et al., 2019). These wounds must be addressed to stop serving soldiers from having flashbacks to the horrible events they endured, which exacerbated their PTSD.
Few veterans can afford the cost of high-quality medical care despite the health decline brought on by PTSD (Goldberg et al., 2020). This suggests that a strategy for developing free comprehensive care for veterans should be created. In this situation, health professionals should push for the creation of such policies since they can better mobilize other stakeholders, such as the government.
Regardless of their health state or financial circumstances, veterans’ health will be improved thanks to the planned strategy to offer free, complete medical treatment to the troops. Along with helping veterans with PTSD and other related health issues, the strategy will also enhance treatment and results for all veterans.
Solutions
According to studies, one of the ways to create a clear viewpoint on what should be done with a people or a particular group is through politics (Turgoose & Murphy, 2019). Once the policy is in effect, any healthcare provider or facility that does not give veterans access to high-quality treatment will be deemed to be in breach of the policy, and legal action may be taken. This strategy will ensure that all veterans get high-quality medical care that will enhance their health.
Medical Care
When veterans require medical care, they can go to the hospital. Nursing homes, hospitals, doctor’s offices, clinics, and nursing homes are examples of such establishments (Marini et al., 2020). Veterans who may only access nursing homes or other institutions other than those suggested by policy may not benefit from restrictions on medical care in certain locations, such as hospitals. Hence, regardless of the kind of facility, the first option of the policy should leave the provision of medical care to all veterans as it stands.
Holistic Treatment
The second option entails veterans receiving holistic treatment under a policy that covers more conditions of care, as certain health facilities might not provide all the services that a person needs. For instance, a certain medical center could not treat physical injuries but exclusively treat people with mental illnesses. In this situation, if a veteran only obtains mental health care for PTSD and does not go to another institution for physical injuries because of a limited number of facility attendances, the patient may relapse with the disease. This is because physical trauma that is not addressed will constantly trigger memories of earlier traumatic events (Johnson & Possemato, 2019). Veterans should be able to get free comprehensive treatment at any healthcare institution under the second approach to the policy.
Comprehensive Multidisciplinary Treatment
A third option will attempt to provide a more involved solution to the issue. Veterans must be treated comprehensively, necessitating a multidisciplinary team’s involvement. Doctors, nurses, and psychotherapists make up this team. In this situation, doctors heal bodily wounds that act as a tangible reminder of the traumatic incident that caused PTSD aggravation and also prescribe various drugs (Taylor et al., 2020).
On the other side, nurses provide treatment for veterans when required and teach them how to take their drugs according to protocol. Ultimately, it is the role of psychotherapists to treat veterans for PTSD and other mental health issues brought on by diseases like stress, anxiety, and depression (Forbes et al., 2019). Providing an interdisciplinary team, as the key variable in this solution, can benefit the potential healthcare outcomes for the patients. The effectiveness of care delivery may be increased through these collaborative services, which will also benefit veterans’ outcomes and care quality.
Conclusion
With the seriousness of the issue, it is hard to estimate which proposal can fit the best into current legislation and healthcare practice. However, I think that it is vital to begin with the more involved solution (option 3) with interdisciplinary teams’ introduction since it can be done within a relatively small timeframe. The proposals ensure the improvement of the current state of veterans suffering from PTSD and emphasize the importance of the issue.
References
Bannister, J. A., Colonel, P. J., Angkaw, A. C., & Norman, S. B. (2019). Differential relationships of guilt and shame on post traumatic stress disorder among veterans. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 11(1), 35. Web.
Forbes, D., Pedlar, D., Adler, A. B., Bennett, C., Bryant, R., Busuttil, W. & Wessely, S. (2019). Treatment of military-related post-traumatic stress disorder: challenges, innovations, and the way forward. International Review of Psychiatry, 31(1), 95–110. Web.
Goldberg, S. B., Fortney, J. C., Chen, J. A., Young, B. A., Lehavot, K., & Simpson, T. L. (2020). Military service and military health care coverage are associated with reduced racial disparities in time to mental health treatment initiation. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 47, 555–568. Web.
Johnson, E. M., & Possemato, K. (2019). Correlates and predictors of mental health care utilization for veterans with PTSD: A systematic review. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 11(8), 851. Web.
Marini, C. M., Pless Kaiser, A., Smith, B. N., & Fiori, K. L. (2020). Aging veterans’ mental health and well-being in the context of COVID-19: The importance of social ties during physical distancing. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 12(1), 217–230. Web.
McClendon, J., Dean, K. E., & Galovski, T. (2020). Addressing diversity in PTSD treatment: Disparities in treatment engagement and outcome among patients of color. Current Treatment Options in Psychiatry, 7, 275–290. Web.
Taylor, E. N., Timko, C., Nash, A., Owens, M. D., Harris, A. H., & Finlay, A. K. (2020). Post-traumatic stress disorder and justice involvement among military veterans: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 33(5), 804–812. Web.
Turgoose, D., & Murphy, D. (2019). A systematic review of interventions for supporting partners of military Veterans with PTSD. Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health, 5(2), 195–208. Web.