Publications - Military Families

Behind Bars, Vets With PTSD Face A New War Zone, With Little Support, by Quil Lawrence, NPR, Nov 5 2015.

“Most treatment for PTSD involves winding down from the combat mind-set, and learning not to treat the world around you like a war zone. But behind bars, mental health treatment is rare and VA health care is suspended. ”

New Study Finds Many Veterans Live With War Trauma Throughout Their Lives, by Lucy Perkins, NPR , Jul 24 2015.

“A new study of veterans from the Vietnam War has troubling implications for troops who fought much more recently - in Afghanistan and Iraq. The study suggests that 40 years since the Vietnam War ended, hundreds of thousands of those vets still struggle every day with mental health problems linked to the traumas they experienced. It was published in the latest issue of JAMA Psychiatry. ”

On-Line Intervention Reduces Suicide Risk in Veterans, by Rick Nauert, Psych Central , Dec 5 2014.

“A new study suggests a brief online intervention may help veterans reduce the risk of suicide. In their research, psychologist from Florida State University developed a simple computer-based approach to treating anxiety sensitivity. They believe the software may provide significant benefit for veterans and other groups who are considered at risk for suicide. ”

Army Enlistees Similar to Civilians But Some Disorders More Prevalent, by Rick Nauert, Psych Central , Oct 27 2014.

“Emerging research suggests that while military enrollees do not share the exact psychological profile as socio-demographically comparable civilians, they are more similar than previously thought. One study found that new soldiers and matched civilians are equally likely to have experienced at least one major episode of mental illness in their lifetime (38.7 percent of new soldiers; 36.5 percent of civilians). ”

Military Dads Have to Re-Learn Parenting After Deployment, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Mar 4 2014.

“Fathers who returned after military service report having difficulty connecting with young children who sometimes don’t remember them, according to a study released this week. While the fathers in the study had eagerly anticipated reuniting with their families, they reported significant stress, especially around issues of reconnecting with children, adapting expectations from military to family life, and co-parenting. ”

Military deployments tied to teens' depression, by Kathleen Raven, Reuters , Nov 29 2013.

“Adolescents who experience the deployment of a family member in the U.S. military may face an increased risk of depression, suggests a new study. Ninth- and eleventh-grade students in California public schools with two or more deployment experiences over the past decade were 56 percent more likely to feel sad or hopeless compared with their non-military-family peers, the researchers found. The same kids were 34 percent more likely to have suicidal thoughts. ”

Mental Illness, Not Combat, Causes Soldier's Suicides, by Jen Christensen, CNN , Aug 6 2013.

“The record number of military suicides seen in recent years may not be directly due to extended deployments or combat experience, according to a new study. This data analysis, funded by the Department of Defense, suggests that the real reason behind the growing number of military suicides is underlying mental health issues in this population ”

Outdoor Activities Can Improve Your Mental Health, by Rick Nauert, Psych Central , Jul 26 2013.

“Veterans were surveyed before and after a multi-day wilderness recreation experience, which involved camping and hiking in groups of between six and 12 participants. More than half of participants reported that they frequently experienced physical or mental health problems in everyday life. One week after the experience, veterans reported a greater than 10 percent improvement in several measures of psychological well-being, a 9 percent increase in social functioning, and a nearly 8 percent gain in positive life outlook. ”

Soldier's suicide note goes viral; family demands better for veterans, by Chelsea Cook, CNN, Jul 6 2013.

“"Too trapped in a war to be at peace, too damaged to be at war." These are the words of post-traumatic stress disorder. They are the words of Daniel Somers, an Iraq War veteran who took his life last month. He left behind a powerful suicide note that went viral on the Internet after his family shared it with media in Phoenix, where he was from. His note gives readers a clear understanding of what it's like to suffer from crippling depression and war-related psychosis. It also slams the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which he characterized as careless.”

Military Suicide: Help for Families Worried About Their Service Member, by Alexandra Sifferlin, Time, Jul 12 2012.

“Each person deals differently with the stresses of war, frequent deployments, separation from family, death of comrades. Many contend with depression and post-traumatic stress upon returning home. There are several programs and support lines for soldiers, but it also helps for immediate families to remain vigilant and to monitor their behavior. Even still, many service members fall through the cracks. ”

For Some Troops, Powerful Drug Cocktails Have Deadly Results, by James Dao, Carey, et al., New York Times , Feb 12 2011.

“By some estimates, well over 300,000 troops have returned from Iraq or Afghanistan with P.T.S.D., depression, traumatic brain injury or some combination of those. The Pentagon has looked to pharmacology to treat those complex problems, following the lead of civilian medicine. As a result, psychiatric drugs have been used more widely across the military than in any previous war. ”

Military Study Finds Benefits in Mental Health Screening, by James Dao, New York Times , Jan 18 2011.

“Soldiers who were screened for mental health problems before deploying to Iraq were less likely to report suicidal thoughts, be evacuated for mental health reasons or require care for combat stress, a study published on Tuesday has found. ”

Mental Health Visits Seen Rising as Parent Deploys, by Benedict Carey, New York Times , Nov 8 2010.

“Young children in military families are about 10 percent more likely to see a doctor for a mental difficulty when a parent is deployed than when the parent is home, researchers are reporting Monday in the most comprehensive study to date of such families' use of health insurance during wartime. ”

Army Studies Thrill-Seeking Behavior, by Elizabeth Bumiller, New York Times, Oct 30 2010.

“Nearly a decade into two bloody wars, are the armed forces attracting recruits drawn to high-risk behavior? ”

PTSD from War Stress Linked to Dementia, by Rick Nauert, Psych Central, Sep 3 2010.

“A new study suggests that veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may have a greater risk for dementia than veterans without PTSD. ”