Many veterans with PTSD struggle to find supportive employment

Many veterans with PTSD struggle to find supportive employment

Experts say simple accommodations can greatly improve their success in the workplace, but many employers are still wary of hiring those with mental disabilities.

By Alexandra Zavis, Los Angeles Times

September 19, 2010

Michael Butcher has applied for at least 25 jobs since injuries he suffered in Iraq forced him to leave the Army three years ago.

"I was even turned down by McDonald's," said the 29-year-old San Diego native.

The military is known for developing leadership, adaptability, loyalty and teamwork. But Butcher said when he tells employers he needs time off to see therapists for post-traumatic stress disorder and a brain injury, they don't call back.

"They think you are mental," he said.

After nearly a decade of war, many U.S. military veterans have lived through extended periods of combat stress and the trauma of losing colleagues. Nearly a third of the troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan report symptoms of PTSD, severe depression or traumatic brain injury, according to a 2008 study by the Rand Corp.

http://latimes.com/health/la-me-veterans-invisible-wounds-20100920,0,635930.story