Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Month

Statement by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius recognizing Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Month

HHS Secretary Recognizes Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Month

A Statement From HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects a wide range of people, from children who are abused to survivors of rape, domestic violence, natural disasters, and our country's servicemen and women. During PTSD Awareness Month in June, and throughout the year, we recognize the millions of Americans who experience this challenging and debilitating condition.

PTSD is an anxiety disorder that some people develop after seeing or living through an event that caused or threatened serious harm or death. PTSD may result in sleep problems, irritability, anger, recurrent thoughts or dreams about the trauma, intense reactions to and avoidance of reminders of the trauma, disturbances in interpersonal relationships, and isolation. Effective treatments for PTSD are available, such as exposure therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and/or approved medications.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), along with its Federal partners (in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and U.S. Department of Defense), are supporting new research to reveal the underlying causes of PTSD and related conditions, develop better tools to identify those at highest risk of developing the disorder, and develop new and better treatments and preventive interventions.

Read the Secretary's Full Statement on PTSD

Resources for People Who Suffer From PTSD

SAMHSA and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) offer a variety of resources designed to help people who suffer from PTSD, and their families and friends, better understand and deal with trauma's aftermath and to recognize that they can recover. These resources include:

• SAMHSA's Mental Health Services Locator
• NIMH Fact Sheets and Information on PTSD
• StopBullying.gov
• The National Child Traumatic Stress Network
• National Center for Trauma Informed Care
• Disaster Behavioral Health Preparedness and Response Resources: Resources for Resilient Individuals and Communities
• Pharmacologic Guidelines for Treating Individuals With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Co-Occurring Opioid Use Disorders

SAMHSA and NIMH are partnering with the U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs to share our best ideas on how to improve the quality of health care for veterans and all Americans.

• SAMHSA's Military Families Strategic Initiative
• Veterans Chat for Veterans, Family Members, or Friends in Crisis
• SAMHSA News: What Military Patients Want Civilian Providers To Know
• Military Families: Access to Care for Active Duty, National Guard, Reserve, Veterans, Their Families, and Those Close to Them