The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has released a report urging the Department of Defense (DOD) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to make certain they provide service members, veterans, and family members timely and adequate health care, and work to diminish stigma associated with seeking help for substance abuse and mental health issues.
IOM’s Committee on the Initial Assessment of Readjustment Needs of Military Personnel, Veterans, and their Families produced the report, which was requested by Congress and sponsored by DOD. The study examined reintegration issues, and offered a wide-ranging assessment of the physical, psychological, social, and economic effects of deployment on service members, veterans, their families, and their communities.
A number of noteworthy researchers, scholars and scientists comprised the committee, including MFRI Director Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth, who said it took several years to complete.
“I was honored to have participated in such a worthwhile endeavor,” MacDermid Wadsworth said. “The Institute of Medicine staff were outstanding to work with, and the expertise of the other researchers on the committee was very impressive.”
IOM’s recommended the DOD and VA take a number of steps, including:
- focusing on the Armed Forces’ increasing diversity, especially with regard to women and nontraditional families;
- intensifying efforts to eliminate sexual harassment and assault;
- requiring performance reviews of commanding officers to include assessments of how well they deal with harassment and assault;
- making sure programs address the needs of all families, including unmarried partners, same-sex couples, single parents, and stepfamilies.
The Institute of Medicine is an independent, nonprofit organization that works outside of government to provide unbiased and authoritative advice to decision makers and the public.