According to a report from National Public Radio, more than 1.1 million people are caring for veterans who served after September 11, 2001, and it’s estimated that 40% of those caregivers meet criteria for depression. The report cites a recent study from the RAND Corporation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization.
While the 1.1 million people caring for post-9/11 veterans makes up just 20% of all military veteran caregivers, the RAND report found that the (1) post-9/11 veterans and their caregivers are younger than the other military veterans and their caregivers and (2) post 9/11 veteran caregivers are more likely to care for someone with mental health or substance issues.
The report estimates the services provided by the post-9/11 caregivers are worth nearly $3 billion and their efforts at providing care results in $5.9 billion in lost productivity.
The report recommends establishing programs for these caregivers including ones that ensure caregivers’ long-term health.
