Yale Faculty to Direct $6.9 Million VA Study of PTSD
Main Category: Veterans / Ex-ServicemenAlso Included In: Anxiety / Stress; Psychology / Psychiatry
Article Date: 12 Sep 2005 - 9:00 PDT
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Yale School of Medicine will direct a $6.9 million nationwide study into the effectiveness of an anti-psychotic medication for veterans with chronic, military service-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The Yale-led study is funded by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. It is the first multi-center trial to evaluate a non-SRI treatment for PTSD symptoms and the first multi-center study of the medication treatment of PTSD to focus on veterans.
PTSD is the most prevalent and costly psychiatric diagnosis treated within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, said John Krystal, M.D., professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine. He said there are an estimated 196,000 veterans with PTSD. Five percent of all Veterans Administration (VA) patients and 25 percent of all patients with mental health diagnoses have a diagnosis of PTSD. Thirteen percent of all VA mental health costs, or $274 million, is spent to care for veterans with PTSD.
"Recent survey data suggest that 10 to 20 percent of soldiers participating in combat in Iraq meet criteria for PTSD," Krystal said. "Thus, there is good reason to anticipate a substantial influx of veterans with PTSD into VA treatment programs."
Currently, there are only two medication treatments approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of PTSD and both are in the same class of antidepressant, the serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRI's).
"Although antidepressants are the most commonly prescribed medications to treat PTSD symptoms, these medications often have limited effectiveness for veterans with long-standing PTSD symptoms related to their military service," said Krystal. "The study will determine whether an 'atypical' antipsychotic drug, risperidone, is effective for treating PTSD symptoms in veterans who have not responded to antidepressant treatment. It builds on emerging evidence that atypical antipsychotic drugs may be important new medications for treating PTSD symptoms that are unresponsive to antidepressants."
Krystal and Robert Rosenheck, M.D., also a professor of psychiatry at Yale, will direct the study from the VA Connecticut Healthcare System in West Haven. Krystal also leads the Clinical Neuroscience Division and Rosenheck heads the Evaluation Division of the VA's National Center for PTSD.
Four hundred veterans with chronic, military service-related PTSD will be enrolled at 20 VA hospitals from across the United States over a two-year period. Half of the patients will receive risperidone and half will receive placebo for six months. The primary objective is to determine whether PTSD symptoms are reduced by risperidone. This study also will evaluate whether other consequences of PTSD will respond to risperidone, including sleep disturbance, violent behavior, cognitive impairment, alcohol and substance abuse, and reduced quality of life. It will also explore whether it is safe and cost-effective to prescribe risperidone to veterans with PTSD.
"PTSD is an important and timely focus for VA research," Krystal said. "The Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study, published in the early 1990s, showed that more than 15 percent of a nationwide sample of veterans still had sufficient symptom levels to meet diagnostic criteria for PTSD 15 yeas after the end of the Vietnam War. New cases of PTSD have been associated with each successive U.S. military engagement and peacekeeping mission since the Vietnam War. This new study may help to address an important unmet need for these veterans, their families, and the VA."
Yale News Releases are available via the World Wide Web at http://www.yale.edu/opa
Visit our veterans / ex-servicemen section for the latest news on this subject.
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He Wasn't The Same"
posted by Colleen Whitten Price on 12 Dec 2005 at 6:02 pmMy name is Colleen Whitten Price and I am the widow of a 101st Airborne soldier who served proudly with honor in Vietnam. My husband's name was Charles "Chuck" Whitten. He was awarded 2 Bronze Stars, one with a 'V' and the Purple Heart. He was wounded in Chu Chi and spent the next 8 months at Fort Riley in the Irwin Army Hospital.
We have discovered before he was released from the hospital and the Army on the same day he had a fatal disease....PTSD. Tragically for his family and friends Charles committed suicide on October 12, 1971, 2 1/2 years after his release.
For 32 years I believed he had become a madman in Vietnam, not knowing how much he was together during his time spent in country. In June of 2003 Charles' and my daughter, Lori, was able to get in touch with four men he served with while in the 3/187 Infantry Airborne Division stationed in Phouc Vinh. We were told of his heroic actions, bravery, devotion, kindness, and dedication to the 101st Airborne Mission. On July 3rd of 2003 the Elkhart Truth in Elkhart, Indiana, did a 71 inch article named "He Wasn't The Same" written by Steph Price who is no relation to me.
She was about 25 years old when she wrote the article. I dropped off a book, 3 days prior to the article being written about PTSD that a Veteran friend of mine had given me so she might understand what Charles suffered with. What a fantastic job she did for someone so young. The story started off telling of how we met, married, spent Charles' R&R in Hawaii, the sad decline of a once proud man, who we now know suffered with a disease unknown at the time of his suicide, and of his death by carbon dioxide poisoning. I was told the night he died he honked the horn of our car while it was in the detached garage for over 3 hours.
The neighbors told me they thought "Crazy Charlie" was just drunk and no one investigated his actions. Sadly his brother found him dead just inside the service entrance of the garage the next night. I filed for a sevice-rated death for about 10 years but this was denied time after time until I gave up in 1980. I had letters from Congressman John Brademas and Senator Birch Bayh, Charles' mother, my mother, supporting my request to no avail. No one knew of the deadly disease PTSD and I read about suicide after suicide until I contacted the Phil Donahue Show in the late 70's to do a show on the suicides that unfortunatly still are occuring to this day. I was told the widows of these proud misunderstood band of brothers probably had remarried and would not want to bring their dead spouse into their new lives. No show would be done.
Soon after contacting Jerry Jerett, Nick Goudoras, Dave Dillard and Kenny Gaddy in June of 2003 another member of the 3/187 12/13/67-12/13/68 Rakkasans killed his wife and then himself so the madness continues to this day.
As I was warned in the late 70's about widows not wanting to bring their dead hero into their new lives, I sadly lost my husband of 15 years this last month because of bringing my dead HERO into our lives. My husband Bob, who I married after being single for 19 years, felt he was in competition with a man who died 34 years ago.
When the reporter was at my home, in 2003, our oldest daughter Lori told how she thought for 32 years it was my fault her father died. So did her sister think the same thing, unknown to me. I had not revealed the abuse I suffered, to our children, not wanting to burden our kids with that knowledge. All I told the kids, over the years, was how much their father loved them. Now I was telling the reporter how I fled our home in the middle of the night, after being beaten, with our 2 daughters, Lori and Stacy, after being rescued by the police. They had been called to our home many times before but Charles had already left and nothing was done about domestic violence back then. This time he was there, as I called the operator, while he was down stairs locking doors and windows and turning the stereo up loud. He resumed to beat me. I listened for someone beating on the door and when this happened I made a dash down the stairs. I heard him yell "No one is going to help you" as I fled into the protective arms of the police who took us to my mothers home. Charles killed himself about two weeks later. He called my mothers and told me to come home the night before he died. I told him I would come the next day but that did not pacify Charles. He became verbally abusive and I gave the phone to my mom who loved Charles like a son. He told her he would not be there the next day. She replied "You aren't going to go anywhere" and told him I would come home the next day. He then became verbally abusive with her. After his calling 3 times we took the phone off of the hook. I did go to the house the next day and looked through out our home but did not find him. I did find the endtable pulled in front of the sofa and a small pad of paper, punched full of tiny holes, and a beer can on the table. Not knowing what had happened I left and was summoned home by Charles' brother, that same evening, telling me he had found Charles dead. How I drove over to our home, a few miles away from my mom's home that evening, I still do not know to this day. When I pulled up to our home I saw the police and neighbors gathered, out side of the garage, at the back of our lot. I could not make myself go in to the garage so I stood outside and stared at Charles' covered body on the dirty floor, dead by his own hand. He had survived Vietnam but could not survive coming home. His suicide note was written from the pad of paper and contained those tiny holes. He wrote "Colleen I love you." I knew he was thinking of me and the 101st Airborne. I found his uniform in our coat closet with all the braids and medals in place. I had not seen the uniform since his release from the service. Sadly this find was after his burial when my sister, Carolynn, was helping me gather his things together. We found a box with his momentos of his time in Vietnam including one of the bullets taken from his body when he was shot in Chu Chi. Also in the box was a picture of Charles with four men and wrote "These are all the squad leaders I have" and listed their names, Nick Goudoras, Kenny Gaddy, Dave Dillard, and Jerry Jerrett, and myself". I called information in New York City, as Charles had written to me about Nick in his letters home, and got Nick's phone number. The only part of the conversation I remember, after telling Nick Charles had killed himself, is Nick saying "I wish you had not told me this."
After talking to Jerry Jerrett, I asked how the other 3 men were doing. I was told Jerry had 10 tough years after tour, Dave Dillard was doing ok, Kenny Gaddy was shot with a portable rocket in the face and had endured endless surgeries, but Nick was having a hard time. The other 3 men were dealing with their PTSD but Nick was just admitting he too suffered with PTSD. I did not know Charles and Nick had been best friends in Vietnam and my call partnered with his time in Vietnam sentenced him to a life filled of sorrow, guilt, and endless mental pain. Jery explained Nick did not like his phone number given out so we waited until he called Lori's home the next day. Nick exclaimed "I can not believe I am talking to you. This has to be fate. I just wrote to the VA explaining my health problems with PTSD and I wrote a paragraph telling how Charles helped me in Vietnam and of the call you made to me in 1971."
In 2004 Lori and I attended the 3/187, 12/13/67-12/13/68 reunion, in Oklahoma, and met Dave Dillard and JerryJerrett. Nick was supposed to go but was in poor health at the time and could not attend that year. Kenny also did not attend the reunion in 2004. I hope they all can make it next year as I will try and go to it again in hopes of meeting Nick and Kenny.
After going in 2004 I was to attend in 2005. This time I had health problems& husband problems, due to our discovery, and could not go. Now I have no reason not to go in 2006.
The jist of my story is PTSD. I hired Dr. Harold Bursztajn, co-director of Harvard Medical School, to do a psychological autopsy, on Charles and his suicide. Dr. Bursztajn's specialties are PTSD and suicide. The Dr's initial report claims Charles died of untreated or undiagnosed PTSD. Captain (retired) Paul Bucha, Medal Of Honor recipient, was the Captain of Charles' Company 'D' and is now trying to help me right the wrong done to Charles and his family by denying Charles suicide as service-rated. I furnished records to back up my claim to Charles' band of brothers and they too are behind our claim. Charles had PTSD, I then had PTSD, and my children will suffer forever with the illness that seems to keep on giving.
I write this story so the new HEROS, who are now fighting for their lives in Iraq, may identify with our story and have some knowledge of what untreated PTSD can do and will do if they do not seek the help they need. Please publish this sad story so others might benefit from my words written from my heart. The reason I started this journey back down memory lane is 3 men from Fort Bragg, where Charles and I were our happiest, came home from Iraq and killed themselves and their families. I could not believe the Army and the VA were not aware of the harm PTSD would cause, if untreated, in 2003.
Now I am again alone, losing another husband because of PTSD, second hand, and can write with no reason not to.
Respectfully yours,
Colleen Whitten Price
-----------------
Forwarded Message:
Subj: PTSD and Charles Whitten
Date: 12/10/2005 9:51:12 PM Central Standard Time
From: Cprice1948
To: paratrooper@yahoogroups.com
My name is Colleen Whitten Price and I am the widow of a 101st Airborne soldier who served proudly with honor in Vietnam. My husband's name was Charles "Chuck" Whitten. He was awarded 2 Bronze Stars, one with a 'V' and the Purple Heart. He was wounded in Chu Chi and spent the next 8 months at Fort Riley in the Irwin Army Hospital. We have discovered before he was released from the hospital and the Army on the same day he had a fatal disease....PTSD. Tragically for his family and friends Charles committed suicide on October 12, 1971, 2 1/2 years after his release. For 32 years I believed he had become a madman in Vietnam, not knowing how much he was together during his time spent in country. In June of 2003 Charles' and my daughter, Lori, was able to get in touch with four men he served with while in the 3/187 Infantry Airborne Division stationed in Phouc Vinh. We were told of his heroic actions, bravery, devotion, kindness, and dedication to the 101st Airborne Mission. On July 3rd of 2003 the Elkhart Truth in Elkhart, Indiana, did a 71 inch article named "He Wasn't The Same" written by Steph Price who is no relation to me. She was about 25 years old when she wrote the article. I dropped off a book, 3 days prior to the article being written about PTSD that a Veteran friend of mine had given me so she might understand what Charles suffered with. What a fantastic job she did for someone so young. The story started off telling of how we met, married, spent Charles' R&R in Hawaii, the sad decline of a once proud man, who we now know suffered with a disease unknown at the time of his suicide, and of his death by carbon dioxide poisoning. I was told the night he died he honked the horn of our car while it was in the detached garage for over 3 hours. The neighbors told me they thought "Crazy Charlie" was just drunk and no one investigated his actions. Sadly his brother found him dead just inside the service entrance of the garage the next night. I filed for a sevice-rated death for about 10 years but this was denied time after time until I gave up in 1980. I had letters from Congressman John Brademas and Senator Birch Bayh, Charles' mother, my mother, supporting my request to no avail. No one knew of the deadly disease PTSD and I read about suicide after suicide until I contacted the Phil Donahue Show in the late 70's to do a show on the suicides that unfortunatly still are occuring to this day. I was told the widows of these proud misunderstood band of brothers probably had remarried and would not want to bring their dead spouse into their new lives. No show would be done.
Soon after contacting Jerry Jerett, Nick Goudoras, Dave Dillard and Kenny Gaddy in June of 2003 another member of the 3/187 12/13/67-12/13/68 Rakkasans killed his wife and then himself so the madness continues to this day.
As I was warned in the late 70's about widows not wanting to bring their dead hero into their new lives, I sadly lost my husband of 15 years this last month because of bringing my dead HERO into our lives. My husband Bob, who I married after being single for 19 years, felt he was in competition with a man who died 34 years ago.
When the reporter was at my home, in 2003, our oldest daughter Lori told how she thought for 32 years it was my fault her father died. So did her sister think the same thing, unknown to me. I had not revealed the abuse I suffered, to our children, not wanting to burden our kids with that knowledge. All I told the kids, over the years, was how much their father loved them. Now I was telling the reporter how I fled our home in the middle of the night, after being beaten, with our 2 daughters, Lori and Stacy, after being rescued by the police. They had been called to our home many times before but Charles had already left and nothing was done about domestic violence back then. This time he was there, as I called the operator, while he was down stairs locking doors and windows and turning the stereo up loud. He resumed to beat me. I listened for someone beating on the door and when this happened I made a dash down the stairs. I heard him yell "No one is going to help you" as I fled into the protective arms of the police who took us to my mothers home. Charles killed himself about two weeks later. He called my mothers and told me to come home the night before he died. I told him I would come the next day but that did not pacify Charles. He became verbally abusive and I gave the phone to my mom who loved Charles like a son. He told her he would not be there the next day. She replied "You aren't going to go anywhere" and told him I would come home the next day. He then became verbally abusive with her. After his calling 3 times we took the phone off of the hook. I did go to the house the next day and looked through out our home but did not find him. I did find the endtable pulled in front of the sofa and a small pad of paper, punched full of tiny holes, and a beer can on the table. Not knowing what had happened I left and was summoned home by Charles' brother, that same evening, telling me he had found Charles dead. How I drove over to our home, a few miles away from my mom's home that evening, I still do not know to this day. When I pulled up to our home I saw the police and neighbors gathered, out side of the garage, at the back of our lot. I could not make myself go in to the garage so I stood outside and stared at Charles' covered body on the dirty floor, dead by his own hand. He had survived Vietnam but could not survive coming home. His suicide note was written from the pad of paper and contained those tiny holes. He wrote "Colleen I love you." I knew he was thinking of me and the 101st Airborne. I found his uniform in our coat closet with all the braids and medals in place. I had not seen the uniform since his release from the service. Sadly this find was after his burial when my sister, Carolynn, was helping me gather his things together. We found a box with his momentos of his time in Vietnam including one of the bullets taken from his body when he was shot in Chu Chi. Also in the box was a picture of Charles with four men and wrote "These are all the squad leaders I have" and listed their names, Nick Goudoras, Kenny Gaddy, Dave Dillard, and Jerry Jerrett, and myself". I called information in New York City, as Charles had written to me about Nick in his letters home, and got Nick's phone number. The only part of the conversation I remember, after telling Nick Charles had killed himself, is Nick saying "I wish you had not told me this."
After talking to Jerry Jerrett, I asked how the other 3 men were doing. I was told Jerry had 10 tough years after tour, Dave Dillard was doing ok, Kenny Gaddy was shot with a portable rocket in the face and had endured endless surgeries, but Nick was having a hard time. The other 3 men were dealing with their PTSD but Nick was just admitting he too suffered with PTSD. I did not know Charles and Nick had been best friends in Vietnam and my call partnered with his time in Vietnam sentenced him to a life filled of sorrow, guilt, and endless mental pain. Jery explained Nick did not like his phone number given out so we waited until he called Lori's home the next day. Nick exclaimed "I can not believe I am talking to you. This has to be fate. I just wrote to the VA explaining my health problems with PTSD and I wrote a paragraph telling how Charles helped me in Vietnam and of the call you made to me in 1971."
In 2004 Lori and I attended the 3/187, 12/13/67-12/13/68 reunion, in Oklahoma, and met Dave Dillard and JerryJerrett. Nick was supposed to go but was in poor health at the time and could not attend that year. Kenny also did not attend the reunion in 2004. I hope they all can make it next year as I will try and go to it again in hopes of meeting Nick and Kenny.
After going in 2004 I was to attend in 2005. This time I had health problems& husband problems, due to our discovery, and could not go. Now I have no reason not to go in 2006.
The jist of my story is PTSD. I hired Dr. Harold Bursztajn, co-director of Harvard Medical School, to do a psychological autopsy, on Charles and his suicide. Dr. Bursztajn's specialties are PTSD and suicide. The Dr's initial report claims Charles died of untreated or undiagnosed PTSD. Captain (retired) Paul Bucha, Medal Of Honor recipient, was the Captain of Charles' Company 'D' and is now trying to help me right the wrong done to Charles and his family by denying Charles suicide as service-rated. I furnished records to back up my claim to Charles' band of brothers and they too are behind our claim. Charles had PTSD, I then had PTSD, and my children will suffer forever with the illness that seems to keep on giving.
I write this story so the new HEROS, who are now fighting for their lives in Iraq, may identify with our story and have some knowledge of what untreated PTSD can do and will do if they do not seek the help they need. Please publish this sad story so others might benefit from my words written from my heart. The reason I started this journey back down memory lane is 3 men from Fort Bragg, where Charles and I were our happiest, came home from Iraq and killed themselves and their families. I could not believe the Army and the VA were not aware of the harm PTSD would cause, if untreated, in 2003.
Now I am again alone, losing another husband because of PTSD, second hand, and can write with no reason not to.
Respectfully yours,
Colleen Whitten Price
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