Mental Health and Financial Challenges Top the List of Concerns for Injured Veterans and Families During Congressional Testimony
WASHINGTON, March 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Testifying before the Senate and House Committees on Veterans’ Affairs today, Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) CEO Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Mike Linnington implored Congress to support key policies and legislation that will improve the health and well-being of wounded veterans.
“Many warriors and their family members face a lifetime of living with visible and invisible wounds. Wounded Warrior Project has been serving these warriors for 20 years and their needs continue to grow and evolve, especially as they age,” said Linnington. “Congress can help change the landscape for America’s veterans and their families. I urge our nation’s leaders to ensure veterans receive the vital services and resources they have earned through their sacrifice to our country.”
Read WWP’s full written testimony and learn more about the organization’s 2023 Legislative Priorities.
Linnington called on the committees to address policies that will benefit wounded veterans as they transition to civilian life. He highlighted several pressing issues impacting veterans, their families, and caregivers, including:
- Mental health and suicide prevention, which continues to be the top service-related health issue reported by warriors registered with WWP. According to the latest WWP Annual Warrior Survey, approximately 3 in 4 warriors report experiencing PTSD (75.9%), anxiety (75.7%), and depression (74.3%) – and all of these conditions negatively impact their quality of life.
- Financial wellness, which is at the forefront of concerns reported by WWP’s warrior community. The unemployment rate for warriors is 6.8%, almost double the national average, with 64.2% indicating that at some point in the past year, they did not have enough money to make ends meet.
- Increased support for women warriors, who are a growing population of veterans in need of gender-specific care, ongoing support, and improved coordination of care and benefits for survivors of military sexual trauma (MST). Women account for more than 30% of the increase in veteran enrollment in Department of Veterans Affairs health care over the past five years.
- Support for those dealing with the effects of combat-related toxic exposure. Last year’s passage of the Honoring our PACT Act marked a major turning point for veterans dealing with toxic exposure-related health concerns. Now, it is imperative that Congress supports its oversight and implementation, especially regarding disability claims processing and health care access.
Concurrent with this testimony, wounded warriors from across the U.S. joined WWP this week in Washington, DC, to advocate before members of Congress for legislation that addresses key issues impacting the veteran community.
WWP will continue to support the post-9/11 generation of injured veterans and will work with elected leaders, policymakers, and the warrior community to support our nation’s heroes.
About Wounded Warrior Project
Since 2003, Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) has been meeting the growing needs of warriors, their families, and caregivers — helping them achieve their highest ambition.
Learn more about WWP’s legislative priorities here.
SOURCE Wounded Warrior Project
