The Source for Navy News
Mental Health Month Wrap-up: Help Is Available
Story Number: NNS031029-08
Release Date: 10/29/2003 2:11:00 PM
By Bill Doughty, U.S. Naval Hospital, Yokosuka Public Affairs
YOKOSUKA, Japan (NNS) -- Mental health is a state of well-being, according to Lt. Amado Daylo, a psychiatrist at U.S. Naval Hospital Yokosuka. It’s a state in which people have good, productive and friendly relationships at home and at work.
“Mental illness is the converse of that,” said Daylo. “It's when people are suffering in relationships or having occupational problems.”
Daylo spoke on Yokosuka Japan’s HealthScope television show this October about the many resources available in the overseas community. October was Mental Health Awareness Month, and provided an opportunity to show what services are available on or near military bases worldwide.
According to Daylo, people can and should talk about troubling issues with close friends, shipmates and mentors. Sailors and their families can also get more structured assistance.
“There are a number of other services available. The Fleet and Family Support Center offers a wide array of services – from individual counseling to anger management, stress management and financial management classes. I can’t tell you how invaluable these classes are,” said Daylo.
“There’s also the chaplaincy to offer pastoral counseling, as well as the primary care physician. If it gets to the point where someone needs medication, these are the folks who can prescribe it.
“I would say about 80 to 90 percent of psychiatric medication is prescribed by primary care doctors.”
Just because someone asks for help doesn’t mean that they have a mental illness, added Daylo.
“I’ve reviewed the data within the past year from mainland Japan. We had 263 new evaluations. Of those, 85 percent we sent back, fit for full duty.”
For related news, visit the U.S. Naval Hospital, Yokosuka, Japan, Navy NewsStand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/nhyoko.
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