Health
VA Hospitals Work to Address Mental Health Needs of Veterans
Alexandra Silets | May 30, 2022, 7:00 pm
Since 2010, more than 65,000 veterans have died by suicide – that is more than the total number of deaths from combat during the Vietnam War and the operations in Iraq and Afghanistan combined.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs operates one of the largest health care systems in the country, and one-third of its veteran patient population has one or more mental health conditions.
Dr. Jeffrey Oaken, deputy chief of staff at Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital, and Colleen Kagan, a clinical psychologist and assistant chief of mental health recovery services at Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, joined “Chicago Tonight” to discuss the mental health needs of area veterans.
