Visit Your Local PBS Station PBS Home PBS Home Programs A-Z TV Schedules Watch Video Support PBS Shop PBS Search PBS
EXPOSÉ: America's Investigative Reports
EXPOSÉ 2008 Season
The Blog É-Tools About the Series Watch Online
Introduction Meet the Reporters Bureaucracy in Motion Mentally Unfit, Forced to Fight Watch the Episode CIR Blogger Notes Web Resources
Watch Online

CHAPTER I | CHAPTER II | CHAPTER III

In the military's pre-deployment screening process, soldiers are asked to complete a personal survey which contains only one mental-health question --Question 7. It asks: "During the past year have you sought counseling or care for your mental health?" The Hartford Courant analyzed data from more than 900,000 questionnaires and discovered that only a fraction of soldiers answered "yes" to question 7. Among those who did disclose past psychological treatment, however, nearly all were ultimately deployed. Journalists Lisa Chedekel and Matt Kauffman dig deep to find a military mental health system facing signs of battle fatigue. They revealed that some soldiers needing mental health assistance while on active duty are falling through the cracks, and others with post-traumatic stress disorder or other mental illnesses are being sent back for additional tours. (Updated Program)


Episode credits