For Immediate Release
February 5, 2009
For more information, contact:
Dottie Jeffries, Director of Public Affairs, 212-752-0450, ext. 29
Psychoanalysts approve Position Statement "The Inner Wars Come Home" regarding the Traumatic Impact on Families and Children When Veterans Return Home.
New York, NY- Long concerned with societal issues, the 3,400 members of the American Psychoanalytic Association are focusing their expertise and attention on what they believe to be one of the most pressing mental health catastrophes this country has faced. On January 15, during the organization's Winter 2009 Meeting held at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York, the American Psychoanalytic Association (APsaA) approved a position statement regarding the traumatic impact on families and children when America's veterans return home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Approximately 1.4 million American children have parents who are active military personnel and 1.6 million U.S. troops have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001. It has been estimated that at least one-third, or 500,000 troops will be in need of mental health services to address symptoms of depression, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and traumatic brain injury.
Research has shown that these syndromes have significant negative impact on family relationships and on children in particular who are the most vulnerable. This vulnerability has been exacerbated by parents being deployed more than one time and in some cases when both parents have been deployed. The full position statement is available by clicking here.
This position statement is part of APsaA's Service Members and Veterans Initiative (SVI),an initiative that adds a psychoanalytic voice to the public’s response to a growing mental health crisis among soldiers, veterans and their families -a crisis thatis widely recognized by policy and mental health experts. A related position statement regarding veterans was approved on June 21, 2007.
The SVI was established by APsaA President Prudy Gourguechon, M.D. who is available to the media for comments regarding this position statement as well as the SVI. To reach Dr. Gourguechon, please contact Dottie Jeffries at djeffries@apsa.org or (212) 752-0450, x29.
The American Psychoanalytic Association is a professional organization of psychoanalysts throughout the United States and is comprised of approximately 3,300 members.
Visit www.apsa.org for more information.