KAHULUI, Hawaii, Jan. 27 (UPI) -- A U.S. non-profit group is calling for stepped-up care for veterans coping with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Officials at Stay Strong Nation in Maui, Hawaii, say a study published in the American Journal of Psychology finds 93 percent of soldiers contemplated suicide when they went without aggressive mental counseling.

However, 54 percent fewer soldiers contemplate suicide -- and the number of soldiers who needed to be sent home with mental health problems drops by nearly 70 percent -- with more aggressive counseling in the field, the study says.

Gresford Lewishall, vice president of Stay Strong Nation, says members believe a similar proportion of the current roster of veterans who already suffer from PTSD and other illnesses as a result of their duties could and should also be helped.

"Former troops and veterans alike have been hardened by the experiences of combat and many don't realize they have severe cases of PTSD," Lewishall says in a statement. "Unfortunately, veterans turn to alcohol and drugs as a way to cope but we're going to deliver a better way of offering the help they need and deserve through our treatment program."