It's well understood that veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan can suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder or major depression upon returning home.

What's less appreciated are the high numbers of the psychologically wounded, and the urgency with which they need — and surely deserve — treatment and support.

A Rand Corporation study released last month found that nearly 20 percent of military services members — about 300,000 — who returned from Iraq and Afghanistan reported symptoms of PTSD or major depression. Even more disturbing is that about half of those did not seek treatment; many said they feared seeking help would hurt their careers.

The societal cost is reflected in increases in substance abuse, lost productivity, marital problems, unemployment and suicide. Rand puts the monetary cost at as much as $6.2 billion in the two years following deployment.

And without more focused and aggressive action, the problem is likely to get worse. Since October 2001, about 1.6 million U.S. troops have been deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Senate Bill 2162, sponsored by Hawai'i's Sen. Daniel Akaka, which seeks to improve treatment for our veterans, deserves careful consideration.

Among the sensible changes proposed: