WASHINGTON   –  U.S. Representative Jo Ann Emerson (MO-08) today added her voice to U.S. Senator Kit Bond’s in calling for the U.S. military to exercise caution when diagnosing service-connected mental health conditions.  In particular, mis-diagnoses of pre-existing personality disorders can prevent veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from receiving proper care.

"Our servicemembers and veterans earn and deserve the best care for any service-connected disability, including traumatic brain injuries and PTSD – two of the most common injuries sustained by soldiers in the Middle East.  The U.S. military and the Veterans Administration ought to be expertly equipped to deal with diagnosis and treatment of these conditions.  It is wholly unacceptable that the men and women who lay their lives on the line for our country could sustain an injury and find the VA and military systems of care unavailable to them," Emerson said.

The text of Emerson’s letter to the leadership of the Military Personnel Subcommittee at the House Armed Services Committee follows:

Dear Chairman Davis and Ranking Member McHugh,

I am writing to respectfully request your consideration in retaining during conference language passed in the Senate version of the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would temporarily require a higher-level review of personality disorder diagnoses in order for the military to process discharges based on such diagnoses.

I have heard concerns, from my constituents and my staff, regarding discharges that appear to have been the result of inappropriate or inconsistent application of standard diagnostic practices.  And like Senators Bond and Obama, the chief sponsors of this language, I have strong concerns that, despite their best efforts, mental health professionals serving in the Armed Forces may be mis-diagnosing a service-connected injury such as moderate PTSD as a pre-existing personality disorder. 

I believe including this language in the conference report is a reasonable step at this point.  As passed, it represents a bipartisan approach that was accepted by Majority and Ranking members of the Senate Armed Services Committee and benefitted from the input of their staffs.  It simply requires the military to conduct its own review and revision of its policies and procedures in diagnosing personality disorders; and until such a review is completed, any such diagnoses must be submitted for an additional check to the respective surgeons general offices.  Commanders may still discharge service members with a personality disorder under this amendment; but discharge will require a full accounting of any potential problems and will compel a review of current diagnostic training and practices. 

Thank you for considering this request.

Sincerely,

Jo Ann Emerson
MEMBER OF CONGRESS