Rep. Stephen LynchVerified account

Prevalence of #PTSD among Iraq & Afghanistan veterans is primarily the result of multiple tours of duty & repeated & severe combat exposure

.@DeptVetAffairs reported #veterans w/#PTSD are particularly vulnerable to suicide risk. This continues to affect vets at devastating rate.

Impact of #PTSD in veteran’s community is difficult & far-reaching issue that demands a comprehensive approach to treatment & rehabilitation

This includes robust funding for the @DeptVetAffairs to continue to expand its mental health services.

I was proud to support the #omnibus that included $50B for VA medical services, including mental health care and suicide prevention

We must also encourage the development of commonsense alternative solutions that could further assist #veterans with rehabilitation.

One alternative is the topic of today’s hearing: providing service dogs to veterans with P.T.S.D. to help alleviate their related symptoms.

Initial academic studies have revealed that veterans paired with service dogs report less severe P.T.S.D. symptoms and other health benefits