Everyminute.org

What will research mean to veterans? I feel that any research will be absolutely invaluable to establishing an empirical data base that will allow pre-deployment measurement for comparison with post deployment mental health status of veterans and the treatment of veterans' mental illness. The value to the population as a whole cannot be overestimated, but warriors are aware that being "branded" with mental health problems can affect their security clearances and their careers in a way that does not affect civilians. Warriors who answer questions and other subjective evaluations, I believe, are subject to the pressure of knowing that the "wrong" answer might terminate a career or get one discharged.

The objective data provided by the research your organization (everyminute.org) envisions, if properly and privately protected, can provide hope for recovery. We must be able to properly measure and diagnose illness before we can effectively manage it and your organization can provide the impetus for that measurement.

Another significant issue is patient satisfaction, an area where a great deal of private and public funding is being and should be applied. We are all individuals and research leading to proper diagnoses and treatment plans will help remove a large part of the uncertainty that exacerbates stress in patients with both physical and mental illness. Just "knowing" offers a certain sense of relief for patients and their families.

We must have research and the private and public funding to support it if we are ever to move from the dark ages of "guessing" to the scientific certainty of knowing and treating for full recovery. Please let me know if I can help in any other way, and thank you for the work your organization is doing.

-Retired Army Officer