Q: One of the recommendations from a December 2010 Department of Veterans Affairs inspector general report was for there to be more sensitivity training on military sexual trauma. Has that happened?
A: Military sexual trauma can happen to both men and women. Essentially it is sexual assault or sexual harassment occurring while serving on active duty or in active-duty training.
Screening asks veterans two questions:
Did you receive uninvited and unwanted sexual attention, such as touching, cornering, pressure for sexual favors or verbal remarks?
Did someone ever use force or threat of force to have sexual contact with you against your will?
"(Veterans Affairs) screens all veterans coming for health care for" military sexual trauma, said Susan McCutcheon, of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' office of mental health services, during a telephone news briefing with reporters recently.
Answering "yes" to either question indicates the person has experienced military sexual trauma. It does not, however, mean that the person needs treatment or that the perpetrator was a member of the military.
Military sexual trauma is not a mental health diagnosis, McCutcheon said, but it is associated with higher rates of post-traumatic stress disorder and major depression.
Every (Veterans Affairs) facility has a designated military sexual trauma services coordinator, McCutcheon said.
All treatment for physical and mental health conditions related to military sexual trauma is free, she said.
"You don't need to be service connected or have a disability compensation to receive the free treatment benefits," she said.
Of the 22.7 million living veterans, more than 1.8 million are women, according to Veterans Affairs.
Women veterans comprise nearly 8 percent of the total veteran population and 6 percent of all veterans who use VA health care services.
New data suggests suicide rates are increasing among some women veterans.
In a new outreach effort, VA staff members are proactively calling female veterans to hear any concerns they have.
"We are placing friendly calls. We are asking them to talk candidly about why they are not using the VA," said Patricia Hayes, chief consultant of the Women Veterans Health Strategic Health Care Group at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
"We have spoken to nearly 1,000 women veterans or their representatives. … Our plan is to reach as many of the 1.8 million women veterans as we can."
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