,,iv #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,,res4 #ajjf ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,june #ae1 #bjbj,mr4 ,peters 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,mast1 ,mr4 ,brindisi1 ,mr4 ,katko1 ,mr4 ,lynch1 ,mr4 ,cisneros1 ,mr4 ,wittman1 ,mr4 ,moulton1 ,mrs4 ,luria1 ,mr4 ,waltz1 ,ms4 ,stefanik1 ,mrs4 ,hartzler1 ,mr4 ,golden1 ,mr4 ,crow1 and ,mr4 ,harder of ,california7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,armed ,services1 and in addition to the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned ,,resolution ,expressing support for the designation of the month of ,june #bjbj as ,national ,post-,traumatic ,stress ,injury ,awareness ,month and ,june #bg1 #bjbj1 as ,national ,post-,traumatic ,stress ,injury ,awareness ,day4 ,whereas the brave men and women of the ,armed ,forces1 who proudly serve the ,united ,states1 risk their lives to protect the freedom1 health1 and welfare of the people of the ,united ,states and deserve the investment of every possible resource to ensure their lasting physical1 mental1 and emotional well-being2 ,whereas nearly #b1hjj1jjj members of the ,armed ,forces have deployed overseas since the events of ,september #aa1 #bjja1 and have served in places such as ,afghanistan and ,iraq2 ,whereas the current generation of men and women in the ,armed ,forces has sustained a high rate of operational deployments1 with many members of the ,armed ,forces serving overseas multiple times1 placing those members at high risk of enduring traumatic combat stress2 ,whereas1 when left untreated1 exposure to traumatic combat stress can lead to severe and chronic post-traumatic stress responses1 commonly referred to as post-traumatic stress disorder 7in this preamble referred to as ,,ptsd7 or post-traumatic stress injury2 ,whereas many men and women of the ,armed ,forces and veterans who served before ,september #aa1 #bjja1 live with mental health needs from post-traumatic stress and remain at risk2 ,whereas the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs reports that approximately-- 7#a7 #aa to #bj percent of veterans who served in ,operation ,iraqi ,freedom or ,operation ,enduring ,freedom have ,,ptsd in a given year2 7#b7 #ab percent of veterans who served in the ,persian ,gulf war have ,,ptsd in a given year2 and 7#c7 #cj percent of veterans who served in the ,vietnam era have had ,,ptsd in their lifetimes2 ,whereas many post-traumatic stress responses remain unreported1 undiagnosed1 and untreated due to a lack of awareness about post-traumatic stress and the persistent stigma associated with mental health conditions2 ,whereas exposure to trauma during service in the ,armed ,forces can lead to post-traumatic stress2 ,whereas post-traumatic stress significantly increases the risk of anxiety1 depression1 homelessness1 substance abuse1 and suicide1 especially if left untreated2 ,whereas public perceptions of post-traumatic stress as a mental health disorder creates unique challenges for veterans seeking employment2 ,whereas the ,department of ,defense1 the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs1 and veterans service organizations1 as well as the larger medical community1 both private and public1 have made significant advances in the identification1 prevention1 diagnosis1 and treatment of post-traumatic stress and the symptoms of post-traumatic stress1 but many challenges remain2 ,whereas increased understanding of post-traumatic stress can help to eliminate the stigma attached to this mental health issue2 ,whereas additional efforts are needed to find further ways to eliminate the stigma associated with post-traumatic stress1 including-- 7#a7 an examination of how post-traumatic stress is discussed in the ,united ,states2 and 7#b7 a recognition that post-traumatic stress is a common injury that is treatable2 ,whereas timely and appropriate treatment of post-traumatic stress responses can diminish complications and avert suicides2 ,whereas post-traumatic stress can result from any number of stressors other than combat1 including rape1 sexual assault1 battery1 torture1 confinement1 child abuse1 car accidents1 train wrecks1 plane crashes1 bombings1 natural disasters1 or global pandemics1 and affects approximately #h1jjj1jjj adults in the ,united ,states annually2 ,whereas traumatic events such as the ,,covid-#ai pandemic could increase the number of those impacted by or exacerbate the responses of post-traumatic stress2 ,whereas the diagnosis now known as ,,ptsd was first defined by the ,american ,psychiatric ,association in #aihj to commonly and more accurately understand and treat veterans who had endured severe traumatic combat stress2 ,whereas the word disorder perpetuates the stigma associated with combat stress2 and ,whereas the designation of a ,national ,post-,traumatic ,stress ,injury ,awareness ,month and a ,national ,post-,traumatic ,stress ,injury ,awareness ,day raises public awareness about issues related to post-traumatic stress1 reduces the associated stigma1 and helps ensure that those individuals suffering from the invisible wounds of war receive proper treatment3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,house of ,representatives-- 7#a7 supports the designation of ,national ,post-,traumatic ,stress ,injury ,awareness ,month and ,national ,post-,traumatic ,stress ,injury ,awareness ,day2 7#b7 supports the efforts of the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs and the ,secretary of ,defense1 as well as the entire medical community1 to educate members of the ,armed ,forces1 veterans1 the families of members of the ,armed ,forces and veterans1 and the public about the causes1 symptoms1 and treatment of post-traumatic stress2 7#c7 supports efforts by the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs and the ,secretary of ,defense to foster cultural change around the issue of post-traumatic stress1 understanding that personal interactions can save lives and advance treatment2 7#d7 welcomes the efforts of the ,national ,center for ,post-,traumatic ,stress ,disorder of the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs and local ,vet ,centers 7as defined in section #agab;,a7h7 of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code7 to provide assistance to veterans who are suffering from the effects of post-traumatic stress2 7#e7 encourages the leadership of the ,armed ,forces to support appropriate treatment of men and women of the ,armed ,forces who suffer from post-traumatic stress2 7#f7 recognizes the impact of post-traumatic stress on the spouses and families of members of the ,armed ,forces and veterans2 and 7#g7 respectfully requests that the ,clerk of the ,house transmit a copy of this resolution to the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs and the ,secretary of ,defense4