Veterans Affairs Committee on March 2nd, 2011

[Dr. Alain Beaudet]

Absolutely.

[Guy André, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

They do it much later in the process. This affects the prevention aspect less than the curative aspect. The obstacles are more difficult to overcome. This is why we find a lot of men in prisons and detox centres.

[Dr. Alain Beaudet]

Yes, and reacting this way is seen as a weakness. It's tragic.

[Guy André, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

It must be still more pronounced in soldiers, given that it can even affect their promotion, their professional situation.

What is being done in terms of screening is interesting, but there is another phenomenon. I think that we should better equip the families that these soldiers return to. A lot of witnesses have told us about their spouse who returned from a difficult military mission and who then gradually developed post-traumatic stress. One spouse told us that no one explained to her what post-traumatic stress was, that she noticed changes in her spouse's behaviour and that she had to adjust. All the same, we are in a position to better inform these people. It is a lack of follow-up.

[Dr. Alain Beaudet]

Mr. André, this problem is not unique to post-traumatic stress. It affects mental health as a whole. There is still a stigma surrounding it, and there is still a lack of information. I must also say that my psychiatric colleagues do not always take the time to explain to families what it involves, to tell them about what we know about the illness and why a given treatment is administered. In fact, it involves explaining that, in the case of depression, a person takes an antidepressant, like a person would take insulin if they had diabetes. Insulin boosts an insulin level that is too low, and the antidepressant boosts a serotonin level that is too low.

[Guy André, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

I agree with you, but we are here to talk about post-traumatic stress.

[Dr. Alain Beaudet]

Yes, but it's the same thing. It takes time to explain these things.

[Guy André, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

What information is indispensable and must be given to the soldiers' spouses?

[Dr. Alain Beaudet]

Removing the stigma would already be a huge step. It would involve explaining that it is not a weakness or an inadequate behaviour coming through, but an actual biological phenomenon.

[Guy André, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

So we aren't too far from developing a medication.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

André, I'm going to have to move on.

[Dr. Alain Beaudet]

We already have medications. Sometimes they aren't as effective as we'd like them to be, but they exist already.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

I have to move on now to Mr. Stoffer, please.

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

I have a quick question, sir.

With regard to the cultural differences between the forties and fifties and now, you obviously see a lot more violence on television, in various games, and in the exposure people have to it. Is there any research you know of that is linking cultural differences between, say, what World War II and Korean veterans went through compared to what our modern-day veterans are going through in terms of just the atmosphere around us? The situations are completely different. It was more black and white. You saw the blue enemy over there, you were the red enemy, and you just fought. Now you don't know who the enemy is. It's quite different.

As Roméo Dallaire and others have testified before, it is a really difficult circumstance to ascertain what to do in a particular situation even though you've been given all the training. And the aspect of our cultural differences of what you witness.... The gentleman who wrote that book FOB DOC about his experiences as a medical officer at the front line--I believe he was from the Sudbury area--said that for relief the guys in the forward bases would play these very violent games on their Play Stations or whatever it is they have out there.

So here they are, patrolling in real life, shooting at people, and then, for relaxation, they shoot in simulation. Would you know of any research that shows a connection in that regard?

[Dr. Alain Beaudet]

I think it's a very interesting question. I don't know.

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

I'm just throwing that out there, because I can't help but think.... I find it rather amusing in some ways--I don't know if that's the right word--that a guy who in the daytime goes out with a live C7 rifle, hunts down people, and maybe takes a shot at them, for relief goes back to his game station and does it in simulation. I just wonder if there's a connection in any way to what happens when they get out of the service.

[Dr. Alain Beaudet]

It's a very interesting question. It's very possible that there's research funded in that area. I don't know. I could try to find out. But it's an intriguing thing.

I'm going out on a limb here. I think that all these video games may appear violent, but I think that's totally symbolic. I think the true violence has been removed from them. It's not truly violence you're dealing with, I think.

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

Okay. Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Thank you.

I have the last question. You said earlier that there's research that says that the depression rate for people leaving the military is twice what it is in the general population. Could you send us that research?

[Dr. Alain Beaudet]

Certainly.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

If you could, through my clerk, I would appreciate that.

With that, thank you very much for appearing today. We're very appreciative of your remarks.

[Dr. Alain Beaudet]

It was my pleasure. Thank you for your attention.

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

Mr. Chair, Dr. Westwood had indicated that he hadn't applied to DVA for a while. I'm just assuming that he may be unaware of an application he may be able to make to this organization here.

Is it at all possible that we could reconnect with Dr. Westwood and let him know that, him being with the University of B.C., it's possible that he could put in an application? Who knows? He may get more funding to assist him in what he does.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

I'll get the clerk to send an e-mail on that.

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

Thank you.