Advice to stop PTSD diagnoses triggers probe

An incident at a veterans' hospital near Fort Hood Army base in Texas has stoked concern that the government could try to minimize the problem of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among returning war veterans to save money. In an e-mail, psychologist Norma Perez at the Olin E. Teague Veterans' Center in Temple, Texas, advised her staff to "refrain from giving a diagnosis of PTSD straight out...." She has also tried to replace long-term PTSD treatment groups with short-term plans lasting no longer than three months. Members of Congress have called for an investigation into the incident, and the inspector general of the Veterans Administration has begun one.  Read full story >