WC Missouri News

The 509th Medical Group Mental Health Flight at Whiteman Air Force Base is now offering monthly classes for service members dealing with attention issues or who suspect they may have ADHD. The classes aim to provide military members with information about ADHD before they schedule an evaluation and address concerns unique to the military context.

"The class is so important because it helps educate the service members about if you were to receive a diagnosis, what are the benefits and potential impacts later on," said Capt. Oliver Bauer, 509th MDG mental health element chief. "You can, and we talk about this in the class, serve that successful 20-year career in the military and have a diagnosis of ADHD."

ADHD, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, is a neurodevelopmental disorder typically presenting during adolescence but often persisting into adulthood. It affects concentration, organization, time management, and impulse control.

According to data from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), ADHD affects approximately 5.3 million children in the United States—about 8.7% of the child population. Up to 90% of these children continue to experience symptoms into adulthood.

Maj. Callie Cooper, 509th MDG Mental Health Flight commander, noted that some service members worry a diagnosis of ADHD will lead to a medical evaluation board and administrative separation; however, this is not necessarily true.

"There could be some roadblocks or obstacles as far as location," she said. "But you are still deployable, and you can still be in the military. You can still do your job and that's what matters and that's how you serve that successful career."

The class also aims to help service members pre-screen themselves before seeking an official evaluation at the clinic—a crucial step given recent trends showing increased awareness and diagnoses of ADHD over the past three decades. According to NIH data, the prevalence of ADHD in children rose from 6.2% in 1997 to 10.2% in 2022.

"There's a huge demand, an overwhelming demand, of folks that are asking for an ADHD evaluation," Cooper stated. "Upwards of a third of our new patient appointments would have been taken up just by doing those evaluations."

Cooper highlighted that since implementing these classes, there has been a reduction in new patient evaluations due to attendees learning about other potential causes for their attention problems ranging from PTSD to lack of sleep.

"I think it maximizes our resources," she said. "It gets people into care more quickly and where they need to be rather than just sitting around waiting for an appointment. I think it also increases awareness of other resources."

Bauer compiled statistics from the first year of offering these classes: out of 68 attendees, only 26 were scheduled for an evaluation and merely seven were diagnosed with ADHD.

Additional resources include programs like Behavioral Health Organization Program and True North providers embedded within units.

The impact was significant enough that Bauer presented his findings at an Association of Military Surgeons conference, garnering interest from other Air Force bases and military branches considering similar programs for their mental health clinics.

Mental health clinicians at Fort Belvoir in Virginia expressed interest in adapting the class format for memory care and addressing traumatic brain injuries among service members.

This initiative has enabled better patient care within Team Whiteman's Mental Health Flight while helping service members remain mission-focused—enhancing global strike capabilities anytime, anywhere.

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