The United States Veterans Administration has designed June 27 as National PTSD Screening Day and are encouraging both veterans as well as others who have experienced traumatic events to complete a brief PTSD screen, which is a short set of questions, to check on their mental health needs. A copy of the questions is below and information about this is in the article at this link.
The VA recently published an article about this in which they defined PTSD, “PTSD is a mental health problem that some people develop after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening event, like combat, a natural disaster, a car accident or sexual assault. While most people experience trauma, not all of them develop PTSD. After a trauma, it’s common to relive the traumatic event, avoid reminders of it, have more negative thoughts and feelings, or feel on edge or on the lookout for danger.”
They continued, “People who experience these symptoms longer than a month may have PTSD. While the only way to know for sure is to talk to a professional, like a primary care doctor or mental health care provider, there are self-screen questionnaires for PTSD.”
The VA shares helpful resources for veterans and others suffering from PTSD in their article. The I.U.P.A. has also been collecting and sharing about resources for LEOs with PTSD as well as opportunities to help other LEOs who have PTSD for a long while. Listed below are some from previous article posts.
- Infographic: PTSD in First Responders
- May is Mental Health Awareness Month
- The Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation for LEOs
- The I.U.P.A. Strongly Encourages Retired Officers to Volunteer with COPLINE
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Seeking Volunteers and Staff
Take a quick minute to answer the brief PTSD screening questions below on National PTSD Screening Day as well as on a regular basis. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health.
