Eighteen women who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF) sought mental health services at a Veterans' Affairs (VA) medical center. Ten of the 18 women (56%) reported military sexual trauma (MST) while serving in OIF/OEF. All 10 with MST reported sexual harassment, 6 of the 10 (33% of the sample) reported unwanted physical advances, and 3 (17%) reported completed assault or rape. Fifteen women also completed a questionnaire about their experiences and the Iraq Readjustment Inventory (IRI) developed for this study. High reliability and high correlations with clinician ratings make the IRI a promising measure for future research. A comparison between those with and without MST revealed that those with MST had higher clinician ratings and IRI scores, suggesting greater difficulty with readjustment. And, while MST was significantly correlated with clinician ratings and readjustment scores, the variables "being injured" and "witnessing others injured or killed" were not. These preliminary data suggest that MST OIF/OEF women seeking mental health services is a critical factor for predicting symptoms and difficulty with readjustment to civilian life.

This study examines military sexual trauma (MST) in men and women deployed in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. A diverse sample of 470 (408 men and 62 women) completed anonymous self-report questionnaires. Seventy-seven reported MST: 51 (12.5%) men and 26 (42%) women. MST was significantly related to symptoms and readjustment and most strongly with intimacy problems. Of those with MST, 73% also reported exposure to war-related stressors. Gender differences revealed that women reported a higher prevalence of MST, but men were more likely to endorse MST with multiple war-related stressors. However, no gender differences were found on reports of symptoms, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or readjustment. Implications of these results are discussed.

Objective: This pilot study examines iRest, a form of guided mindfulness meditation, and its ability to reduce symptoms associated with sexual trauma, including military sexual trauma (MST), in a sample of women seeking psychotherapy services at a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center. Methods: 90-minute sessions were held 19 times, twice a week for 10 weeks, except for the week with a holiday. Participants completed self-report measures Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI), Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory (PTCI), and the Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Check List (PCL) pre- and post-treatment. Sixteen women were recruited: 15 enrolled, 5 dropped due to transportation issues, and 10 completed the protocol. Results: Completers reported significant decreases in symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PCL, t (9) = 3.17, p < 0.01, d = 0.66), negative thoughts of self-blame (PTCI t (9) = 2.96, p < 0.05, d = 0.52), and depression (BSI, t (9) = 2.33, p < 0.05, d = 0.64). Participants also offered verbal reports of decreased body tension, improved quality of sleep, improved ability to handle intrusive thoughts, improved ability to manage stress, and an increased feeling of joy. Participants also enthusiastically endorsed the class and stated they would take it again and recommend it to others. Conclusions: This small pilot study showed promising results for delivering iRest to women with sexual trauma in a VA medical center. Further research is warranted.

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Holographic reprocessing (HR) facilitates holistic reappraisal of attributions regarding interpersonal violence and maltreatment. The authors tested the feasibility to train therapists to run a protocol using HR to reduce negative thoughts associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in women veterans who have had sexual trauma or abuse. The study assessed pre- and postscores on the Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory (PTCI) in a naturalistic clinical setting with 5 therapists. The protocol consisted of screening for PTSD, followed by an average of 9 HR treatment sessions. Twenty-two women were referred to the study; 17 enrolled and completed treatment (0% dropout rate). Significant decreases were found on all scales of the PTCI, with large effect sizes: total negative thoughts, t(16) = 4.42, p < .000, Cohen's d = 1.52, and 47% of the sample had reliable change (decreased negative thoughts; RC < -1.96). These findings suggest that HR is a promising treatment for sexual trauma PTSD. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).