Explore the vast range of titles available.

\"[This book] explores the topic of mental illness in the military\"--Provided by publisher.

With the United States' involvement in numerous combat operations overseas, the need for civilian social workers with the clinical skills necessary to work with members of the military returning from combat, as well as their families, has never been more critical. In this practical and important book, each chapter is written by specialists in a particular area devoted to the care of service members and includes case material to demonstrate assessment and intervention approaches. The reader is introduced to the world of the military and the subsequent development of mental health services for returning men and women. Chapters look at special populations of service members with specific needs based directly on their experience in the military, discussing post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, sexual harassment and assault during their service, and the physiology of the war zone experience. The challenges faced by reintegrating service men and women are explored in detail and include family issues, suicide, and substance use disorders. A section on services available to returning service members looks at those offered by the Veterans Administration and at the use of animal-assisted interventions. The book concludes with a section devoted to unique concerns for the practitioner and explores ethical concerns they may face and their own needs as clinicians working with this population.

As part of an evaluation of the Marine Corps Operational Stress Control and Readiness (OSCAR) program, this report describes the methods and findings of a large survey of marines who were preparing for a deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan in 2010 or 2011. The results are among the first to shed light on the pre-deployment mental health status of marines, as well as the social resources they draw on when coping with stress and their attitudes about seeking help for stress-related problems.

Not since the great military suicide epidemic of the American Civil War have we seen so many of our heroes, our soldiers and veterans, die by suicide. Why? War is violence. There is intent to cause death, or serious injury, or threat to the physical and psychological integrity of others. War stress is unforgiving. Suicide is an all too frequent response. Today, one member of the military dies by suicide every day. This is a new epidemic. This book addresses some tough questions: What do we know about suicides in the military? Are rates high? Or low? Is military suicide the same or different in the United States and Canada? Is military culture relevant? Do we know the causes, patterns, and associations? Is suicide among the armed forces similar to or different from suicide among civilians? Can it be altruistic? Through individual case studies and general/population approaches, we attempt to understand the cost of military service. It is especially through the personal stories of the great Civil War hero General Emory Upton, Admiral of the Navy Mike Boorda, and Hospital Corpsman Chris Purcell that we find answers. We learn there is a relative lack of understanding about military suicides, mainly due to the very complexity of suicide. The nature of suicide is not monolithic--it is multi-determined. Military service, we find, is a risk factor for suicide and suicidal behavior. Military veterans are twice as likely as civilians to die by suicide. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain Injury (TBI) are especially noted to be huge risk factors, but so are other physical and psychological injuries. Sadly, the aftershocks of war include not only suicides but also incarceration, motor vehicle accidents, homicides, homicide(s)-suicides, and many more faces of violence. And there are many more, uncounted, wounded and dead. The families of traumatized soldiers and veterans, too, are indirect victims of their traumatic experience and, for some, their suicides; there is secondary traumatization. Yet, as this book shows, we must not forget that despite the unbearable pain of war, soldiers, veterans, and their military families, including children, are typically resilient. They can survive! Without question, our vulnerable heroes and veterans are at risk for suicide. But there is secrecy surrounding this, which may well be the biggest barrier. The government, the Department of Defense, the military, veterans groups, survivors, health providers, and other stakeholders need to develop and support more research, more programs, and more care for suicidal and disabled armed services personnel, veterans, and survivors. This war stress needs to stop. Preface Acknowledgments PART ONE Introduction CHAPTER 1 The Military and Suicide CHAPTER 2 Suicide CHAPTER 3 The Psychological Autopsy PART TWO Historical Study CHAPTER 4 Military Suicide: A Classic Population Study CHAPTER 5 Military Suicide: A Historical Individual Case Study PART THREE Current Study CHAPTER 6 Suicide among the American Armed Forces CHAPTER 7 Suicide among the Canadian Forces CHAPTER 8 Surveillance and the Reliability of Military Suicide Statistics PART FOUR Beyond Suicide CHAPTER 9 The Many Faces of Violence: Homicide, Accidental Deaths, Self-Harm, and Incarceration PART FIVE Military Efforts CHAPTER 10 The Psychology of Military Suicide CHAPTER 11 Posttraumatic Stress Disorder CHAPTER 12 Suicide Prevention in the Military PART SIX A Case Study CHAPTER 13 A Soldier’s Story Told: A Psychological Autopsy PART SEVEN Prevention and Policies CHAPTER 14 Military Suicide: Policies and Prevention References Index

Psychology is the science that will determine who wins and who loses the wars of the 21st century, just as physics ultimately led the United States to victory in World War II. Changes in the world's political landscape coupled with radical advances in the technology of war will greatly alter how militaries are formed, trained, and led. In Head Strong: How Psychology Is Revolutionizing War, Michael D. Matthews explores the many ways that psychology will make the difference for wars yet to come, from revolutionary advances in soldier selection and training to new ways of preparing soldiers to remain resilient in the face of horror and to engineering the super-soldier of the future.

Prior to the military conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, wars and conflicts have been characterized by such injuries as infectious diseases and catastrophic gunshot wounds. However, the signature injuries sustained by United States military personnel in these most recent conflicts are blast wounds and the psychiatric consequences to combat, particularly posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which affects an estimated 13 to 20 percent of U.S. service members who have fought in Iraq or Afghanistan since 2001. PTSD is triggered by a specific traumatic event - including combat - which leads to symptoms such as persistent re-experiencing of the event; emotional numbing or avoidance of thoughts, feelings, conversations, or places associated with the trauma; and hyperarousal, such as exaggerated startle responses or difficulty concentrating. As the U.S. reduces its military involvement in the Middle East, the Departments of Defense (DoD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) anticipate that increasing numbers of returning veterans will need PTSD services. As a result, Congress asked the DoD, in consultation with the VA, to sponsor an IOM study to assess both departments' PTSD treatment programs and services. Treatment for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Military and Veteran Populations: Initial Assessment is the first of two mandated reports examines some of the available programs to prevent, diagnose, treat, and rehabilitate those who have PTSD and encourages further research that can help to improve PTSD care.