Every year, nearly 200,000 active-duty service members transition to civilian life. Often many of the service personnel return with what’s referred to as “invisible wounds.”
As many as 72% experience high levels of stress, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. There are also troubling statistics about post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, substance abuse and death by suicide.
And in a recently published study by the Veterans Administration, researchers found patients of color with mental health issues also make up an overwhelming number of chronic pain cases. However, they are rarely the focus of pain management efforts, according to the study. In fact, the study of nearly 400 Black veterans from Atlanta’s VA health system found, “pain-related impairment in Black people with chronic pain and mental health concerns may require more intense therapy.”
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