Troops at risk for suicide are not getting follow- up care

Report: Many also given harmful drugs

Pentagon health care providers failed to perform crucial follow- up for many troops diagnosed with depression and post- traumatic stress syndrome who also were at high risk for suicide, according to a study released Monday by the RAND Corp.

Just 30% of troops with depression and 54% with PTSD received appropriate care after they were declared at risk of harming themselves. The report, commissioned by the Pentagon, examined the cases of 39,000 troops who had been diagnosed in 2013 with depression, PTSD or both conditions. USA TODAY received an advance copy of the report.

“We want to ensure that they get connected with behavioral health care,” said Kimberly Hepner, the report’s lead author and a senior behavioral scientist at RAND, a non- partisan, non- profit research organization. “The most immediate action — removal of firearms — can help reduce risk of suicide attempts.”

The report, titled “Quality of Care for PTSD and Depression in the Military Health System,” also found that onethird of troops with PTSD were prescribed a medication harmful to their condition.

From 2001 to 2014, about 2.6 million troops have been deployed to combat zones in Afghanistan and Iraq. Estimates on how many have suffered posttraumatic stress vary widely — from 4% to 20%, the report says.

The key suicide intervention involves talking to the service member about his or her access to firearms, Hepner said. Guns accounted for 68% of suicides by active- duty troops in 2014, according to the Pentagon.

Commanders can be enlisted to put weapons out of troops’ reach, and family members also may be asked to do so, she said.

“These can be quite difficult conversations to have with service members,” Hepner said.

Researchers found that one- third of troops with depression had received a prescription for benzodiazepine, an antianxiety medication. Those troops need psychotherapy, not benzodiazepine, Hepner said. The drugs can interfere with appropriate treatment, be habit forming and can interact badly with alcohol.

“The report findings and recommendations are being reviewed and will be used to shape our future direction,” Laura Ochoa, a Pentagon spokeswoman, said Sunday. “We remain committed to providing the best quality mental health care to our patients.”