Wounded Warriors with PTSD: A Compilation of Best Practices and Technology in Treatment

Abstract

The American Community Survey (ACS; U.S. Census Bureau, 2011) estimated that 21.5 million veterans live in the United States. A reported 1.6 million veterans served in the Gulf War operations that began post-9/11 in 2001 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2011). Gulf War post-9/11 veterans served mainly in Iraq and Afghanistan, in operations including but not limited to Operations Enduring Freedom (OEF), Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and New Dawn (OND) (M. E. Otey, personal communication, October 23, 2012). Holder (2007) estimated that veterans represent 10% of the total U.S. population ages 17 years and older. Pre-9/11 data suggested that 11% of military service members utilized mental health services in the year 2000 (Garvey Wilson, Messer, & Hoge, 2009). In 2003, post-9/11 comparative data reported that 19% of veterans deployed to Iraq accessed mental health services within one year of return (Hoge, Auchterlonie, & Milliken, 2006). Recognizing the increased need for mental health assessment, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) mandated the Post-Deployment Health Assessment (PDHA) for all returning service members (Hoge et al., 2006). The PDHA is a brief three-page self-report screening of symptoms to include post-traumatic stress, depression, suicidal ideation and aggression (U.S. DOD, n.d.). The assessment also indicates service member self-report interest in accessing mental health services. Military service members access mental health services for a variety of reasons. In a qualitative study of veterans who accessed services at a Veterans Affairs (VA) mental health clinic, 48% of participants reported seeking treatment because of relational problems, and 44% sought treatment because of anger and/or irritable mood (Snell & Tusaie, 2008). Veterans may also present with mental health symptoms related to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and suicidal ideation (Hoge et al., 2006). Depression is considered a common risk factor of suicide among the general population, and veterans are additionally at risk due to combat exposure (Martin, Ghahramanlou-Holloway, Lou, & Tucciarone, 2009). The DOD (2012) confirmed that 165 active-duty Army service members committed suicide in 2011. Furthermore, researchers asserted that suicide caused service member deaths more often than combat (O'Gorman, 2012). Hoge et al. (2004) reported that veterans were most likely to access mental health services 3-4 months post-deployment. Unfortunately, researchers suggested that service members were hesitant to access mental health treatment, citing the stigma of labels (Kim, Britt, Klocko,

Shelter From the Storm: Addressing Vicarious Traumatization Through Wellness-Based Clinical Supervision

“…Consequently, the study of trauma has become quite popular in the professional literature (see Alvarez, 2009;Brown-Rice, 2013;Buss, Warren, & Horton, 2015;Cohen et al, 2009;Fernandez & Short, 2014;Hudspeth, 2015;Jones & Cureton, 2014;Jaycox et al, 2010;Langley et al, 2013;Parker & Henfield, 2012;Tosone, Bauwens, & Glassman, 2014). As one mental health professional pointed out, a natural disaster not only precipitates the distress resulting from the crisis experiences, but also brings unresolved prior trauma to the surface for many clients.…”

Advising Master’s Students Pursuing Doctoral Study: A Survey of Counselor Educators and Supervisors

“…A focus and specialty has emerged in most mental health agencies in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina around issues of trauma. Consequently, the study of trauma has become quite popular in the professional literature (see Alvarez, 2009;Brown-Rice, 2013;Buss, Warren, & Horton, 2015;Cohen et al, 2009;Fernandez & Short, 2014;Hudspeth, 2015;Jones & Cureton, 2014;Jaycox et al, 2010;Langley et al, 2013;Parker & Henfield, 2012;Tosone, Bauwens, & Glassman, 2014). As one mental health professional pointed out, a natural disaster not only precipitates the distress resulting from the crisis experiences, but also brings unresolved prior trauma to the surface for many clients.…”

Best practices of mobile health in clinical care: The development and evaluation of a competency-based provider training program.

“…Furthermore, health apps can improve care for underserved groups, such as facilitating management for geographically dispersed patients (Coulon, Monroe, & West, 2016) and reaching those who do not seek face-to-face care due to concerns about confidentiality and perceived stigma (Whealin, Kuhn, & Pietrzak, 2014). Indeed, health app use has been identified as a best practice by front-line clinicians (Fernandez & Short, 2014).…”