PTSD Awareness Month

By virtue of the authority vested by the Constitution of Virginia in the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, there is hereby officially recognized:

WHEREAS, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a major public health concern that can develop as a result of having experienced a traumatic event, such as war, natural disaster, sexual assault, physical abuse, or a violent accident; and

WHEREAS, PTSD affects people from all walks of life, including our military service members, veterans, and their families; and

WHEREAS, veterans have a higher prevalence of PTSD, 7% per 100 as compared to 6% per 100 for civilians overall; and

WHEREAS, military service, among other individual exposure factors (childhood trauma, combat, family instability), presents higher risk factors for service members to develop PTSD, up to 29% per 100,000 for some branches; and

WHEREAS, many service members lack sufficient access to care for the treatment of unresolved PTSD; and

WHEREAS, acknowledging that PTSD is treatable with evidence-based therapies like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy, access to the right help, right now is critical; and

WHEREAS, the Virginia Veteran and Family Support Program at the Virginia Department of Veterans Services provides peer recovery support, care coordination, and community services to families coping with PTSD; and

WHEREAS, PTSD Awareness Month promotes streamlined access to screening and treatment, as well as service-connected benefits access for all Virginia service members and veterans;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin, do hereby recognize June 2024, as PTSD AWARENESS MONTH in the COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.

Governor of Virginia

Proclamations