Military Mental Health

Background The 198092 civil war in El Salvador was the culmination of decades of militarisation, intense political violence, and repression which produced thousands of victims.57 Violations of international codes of war conduct, mostly by the government's armed forces, routinely took place during the war. Horrifying descriptions of massacres of children, women, and elderly people; killings of wounded and sick in hospital wards; assassinations of civilians; and executions of prisoners have been repor

The purpose of this study was to investigate combat-related post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and couple relationships in Army couples. US Army combat veteran couples (N = 66 couples) completed self-report questionnaires on couple functioning, coercion, resilience, and PTSS. In 23% of the couples (n = 15), both members had PTSS above the clinical cut-off for suspected Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Higher levels of PTSS were associated with lower couple functioning and resilience. Individuals with high resilience scores reported higher couple functioning scores, regardless of PTSS (p = .004). Future researchers should focus on the role of resilience in relation to couple functioning, and ways to amplify resilience in military couples.

Combat and operational stress control (COSC) dogs represent a new category of military working dog. America's VetDogs, a nongovernmental, not-for-profit organization, trains and provides therapy dogs to work with the US Army's combat and operational stress control teams deployed to Afghanistan or Iraq. By taking the therapy/service dog concept to the next level, these dogs have become an important modality in the Army's initiative to safeguard Soldiers' behavioral health while deployed, allowing COSC unit members to break down stigmas that are still present when dealing with behavioral health issues. The training process begins by choosing a pool of dogs, exposing them to different sensory experiences over several months, and training the primary and secondary handlers who will be responsible for the dogs while deployed in theater. After their deployment ends, the dogs are retrained by America's VetDogs to further serve in military or Veterans Administration medical centers as physical

This study examined the effectiveness of Public Law 110-181, "National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2008, Title XVI-Wounded Warriors Matter," as it relates to health care for returning Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) combat veterans. Specifically, it examined the gap between the time an OEF/OIF combat service member left active service and subsequently obtained health care within the Veteran Affairs (VA) Healthcare System, and which factors influenced or impeded the veteran from obtaining health care sooner. Data were collected from 376 OEF/OIF combat veterans who sought health care at the Nashville or Murfreesboro VA Medical Centers. A questionnaire was designed exclusively for this study. The average time gap for an OEF/OIF combat veteran to transition from Department of Defense to VA health care was 3.83 months (SD 7.17). Twenty-six percent of respondents reported there were factors that impeded them from coming to the VA sooner. Factors

Nurses' awareness of MST as a specific type of sexual assault within the military culture and sensitivity to the physical and psychological symptoms are important aspects of care. Nurses must treat the physical and emotional components of sexual assault in all settings; however, referral to the veterans administration programs and resources is key for the woman veteran to receive the specialized care developed by the healthcare system. Women veterans who have PTSD from MST and combat exposure are prone to depression, suicide and substance use/abuse. Nurses must not fear asking the woman if she is having suicidal thoughts or has a plan and intent to follow through with the plan. MST and PTSD may result in internalized anger, shame, self-blame, helplessness, hopelessness and powerlessness. Patient safety is of utmost importance. Assessing Patients for Sexual Violence, A Guide for Health Care Providers (2009) is a useful resource for nurses. The National Center for PTSD (2009) newsletter

OBJECTIVE: The sexual lives of returning Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and Operation New Dawn (OND) veterans have only been discussed minimally in the psychological literature. Given the nature of military social and cultural contexts, the potential for exposure to combat-related stressors that may lead to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the risk of traumatic brain injury secondary to physical injury, the potential for significant psychological and relational ramifications exists. This article focuses on the intimate relationships and sexuality of returning OIF/OEF/OND veterans within the context of their personal cultural variables and the diverse experience of being a part of military life. CONCLUSIONS: Culturally competent assessment and evidenced-based treatment approaches are highlighted to offer clinicians initial strategies to begin treatment of sexuality issues within the returning Veteran population. These clinical tools are

Reviews the evidence for and against hundreds of preventive health services, recommending tests, and counseling interventions when evidence exists that it is effective.

CONNECTIVITY PROBLEM:. Try again later. Search. Clinical Information. On December 12, 2002, President Bush announced a multi-phase plan to administer the smallpox vaccine to 500, 000 members of the military,

Rapid diagnostic tests, such as antigen detection, IgM enzyme immunoassay, immunostaining, and polymerase chain reaction are available only at selected state health departments, the CDC, and the military.