PRINTER'S NO. 1154
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
237
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY MURT, ACOSTA, BAKER, BARRAR, BENNINGHOFF, BOBACK,
BRADFORD, V. BROWN, CALTAGIRONE, COHEN, CUTLER, DiGIROLAMO,
DONATUCCI, DUSH, ELLIS, EVERETT, FARINA, FREEMAN, GIBBONS,
GILLEN, GINGRICH, GOODMAN, GRELL, HAHN, HARHART, HARKINS,
A. HARRIS, HEFFLEY, HELM, HENNESSEY, KINSEY, KIRKLAND,
LONGIETTI, MACKENZIE, MAHONEY, MAJOR, MARSICO, McCARTER,
McNEILL, MILLARD, O'NEILL, C. PARKER, PAYNE, READSHAW, ROSS,
ROZZI, SABATINA, SCHLOSSBERG, SCHWEYER, SONNEY, THOMAS,
VEREB, WARD, WATSON, WHEELAND AND YOUNGBLOOD, APRIL 10, 2015
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
APRIL 10, 2015
A RESOLUTION
Designating the month of May 2015 as "Military Service-Related
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Month" in
Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, The month of May has been designated by the Congress
of the United States as National Military Appreciation Month to
remember those who gave their lives in defense of freedom and to
honor the men and women of the United States Armed Forces who
have served and are now serving this country; and
WHEREAS, Beginning with the ravages of the Civil War, a war-
related syndrome has been identified and called various names:
in World War I, it was "shell shock"; in World War II, it was
"battle fatigue"; and since the Vietnam Conflict in the 1960s
and 1970s, the syndrome has been known as post-traumatic stress
disorder (PTSD); and
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WHEREAS, Veterans currently returning from service in
Afghanistan and Iraq are experiencing a high incidence of PTSD;
and
WHEREAS, A study published in 2010 in the American Journal of
Public Health revealed that more than one-third of returning
soldiers from Afghanistan and Iraq received a diagnosis of
having a mental health disorder, of which nearly 22% were
diagnosed with PTSD; and
WHEREAS, Caused by the horrors experienced during war, PTSD
has an insidious effect on the health of individuals; and
WHEREAS, PTSD causes emotional, social, physical, spiritual
and communication challenges for both the veterans suffering
from the disorder and their loved ones; and
WHEREAS, Persons with PTSD have difficulty sleeping and
experience all the tangential mental and physical effects of
sleep deprivation, feel more irritable and are prone to
unexpected or inexplicable outbursts of anger, have difficulty
concentrating, expect the worst, feel that danger is lurking and
are easily startled; and
WHEREAS, Families of persons who have PTSD experience more
unhappiness, marital strife, anxiety and childhood and
adolescent behavioral problems than families that do not have to
cope with this disorder; and
WHEREAS, The National Center for Posttraumatic Stress
Disorder within the Department of Veterans Affairs aims to
advance the clinical care and social welfare of United States
veterans through research, education and training on PTSD and
stress-related disorders and provides educational resources for
veterans and also for health care providers, researchers and the
general public through its Internet website; and
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WHEREAS, It is fitting, during this month in which VE Day,
Military Spouse Day, Loyalty Day, Armed Forces Day and Memorial
Day are observed, to reflect on this serious disorder that
affects many of our veterans and their families, so that we may
renew and increase our awareness of PTSD; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the
month of May 2015 as "Military Service-Related Post-Traumatic
Stress Disorder Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania.
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