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MILITARY MENTAL HEALTH

PTSD

Austin, Jason, Zyrabelle, Annalisa

Help!

DEPRESSION

FAMILY

INJURY?

OVERVIEW

  • Military Mental Health
  • Mental & Physical Health Conditions (Invisible wounds)
  • Family Impact
  • Helpful Services
  • Normal Life Transition

MILITARY MENTAL HEALTH

MENTAL HEALTH

Depression and suicide rates are higher among people who have served in the military. The reason people do not get the help that they need is that there is a social stigma attached to it. The cost can also be a barrier that stops people from getting mental health treatment

(Fitzgerald, 2019).

DEPLOYMENTS?

DEPLOYMENT PHASES

  • Phase 1: Anticipation/Excitement/Expectancy

-- The moment you receive the deployment order

  • Phase 2: Detachment/Adjustment period

-- Few days before leaving and 2 weeks on deployment

  • Phase 3: Routines/Stress/Elevated Emotions

-- 2 weeks to a month

  • Phase 4: Home Stretch/Sustainment

-- 2-5 months

  • Phase 6: Homecoming

-- Final days and coming home adjustment

SUICIDE

SUICIDE?

Military suicide is a national crisis:

  • Military personnel comprise 20% of national suicides
  • 22 members of military die by suicide everyday
  • 6,000 veteran suicides per year
  • Suicide rate of young service members 3x that of civilians
  • More than 4x the number of service members have died by suicide than service members killed in war operations post-9/11

(NCBI, 2022) (Suitt, 2021)

CAUSE-

Approx. 60% of servicemembers do not seek treatment for poor mental health

  • Stigma

-- Concern that confidentiality will be breached

-- Concern they will be treated differently

  • Fear

-- That others will lose confidence in them

-- They will be viewed as weak

-- Damaging careers

-- Concerns about side effects of medication

  • Problems with access - cost or location of treatement
  • Prefer to rely on family & friends
  • Belief that treatment is ineffective

STATE TROPPER ASSISTING VETERAN

WHAT?

INVISIBLE WOUND

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

PTSD is a mental disorder after exposure to extreme traumatic stressor

-- Flashbacks

-- Avoidance

-- Numbing

-- Hyperarousal

(adrenaline rush)

PTSD?

STRESSORS

  • Severity of Trauma/Brain Injury
  • Someone close to them killed or seriously injured
  • Witnessed death/injuries
  • Killed/hurt others
  • Prolonged absence from home
  • Sexual Trauma: sexual assault/harassment (men/women)
  • Intensity of reaction to trauma
  • Amount of help & support following events

TRIGGERS TO PTSD

  • Use of laser pointer
  • Emergency lights flashing
  • Loud noises
  • Helicopter blades
  • Smells

-- Raw sewage

-- Sweat

  • Oppressive heat
  • Taste/Smell of certain foods
  • Increased sensitivity
  • Dry/arid environment
  • Showering

Treatment for PTSD

  • Cognitive behavior therapies
  • Exposure therapy; desensitization
  • Medications Antidepressants (SSRI's)

-- Zoloft

-- Paxil

-- Celexa

-- Prozac

  • Group Therapy
  • Combinations of above

DEPRESSION

  • 2 week rule
  • Risk of suicidal thoughts/actions
  • Seperation from loved ones
  • Support systems
  • Stressors of combat
  • Seeing oneself
  • 11.4% diagnosed with depression jumped to a rate of 15% after deployments to Iraq or Afghanistan
  • Major depressive disorder 3-5 times more likely to emerge in those with PTSD

(NCBI, 2022)

SUBSTANCE ABUSE

SUBSTANCE ABUSE?

Substance abuse problems & PTSD are often found together

  • Self-medicating for insomnia, to avoid memories of trauma, and other PTSD symptoms
  • Alcohol can make PTSD symptoms worse
  • Develops & reinforces social alienation

Alcohol & drugs related to 30% of military suicide deaths

20% deaths due to high-risk behaviors were attributable to alcohol/drug use

31% driving fatality involve alcohol intoxication in the U.S. population

Changes cause by drug use include impaired control, dysfunctional social functioning, and physiological changes

(NCBI, 2022)

TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY (TBI)

TBI?

Higher incidence of brain injuries in wars due to high frequency of blast attacks/IED's

Increased injury survival due to improved body armor, equipment, & medical response

Injury or Concussion (TBI)

  • Results from significant blow to the head
  • Helmet protects from penetrating objects, but not from blunt force pressure

Those with TBI 2x as likely to report suicidal ideation.

SYMPTOMS (TBI)

Symptoms

  • Insomnia
  • Impaired memory
  • Poor concentration
  • Depression & anxiety
  • Irritability, impatience, & impulsiveness

  • Headaches
  • Dizziness, nausea, vomiting
  • Fatigue
  • Noise/light intolerance
  • Blurred vision

FAMILY

&

TRANSITIONING

WELL-BEING OF FAMILIES

  • Couples must rebuild intimacy & renegotiate roles
  • Service member may be changed due to trauma/injuries
  • Spouse at home may feel anger at additional duties or may feel proud of new independence
  • Issues of infidelity
  • Children may show indifference or anger towards returning parent
  • 1/3 of children with at least one depolyed parents have had psychological challenges, which intensified with longer deployments
  • 37% military spouses suffer at least one disorder
  • Extremely high risk for domestic violence for veterans living with PTSD
  • Depression, anxiety, behavioral disorder, sleep disorders

TRANSITION BACK

Things have changed since the veteran left home

-- Veterans must adjust to civilian life

-- Takes 6-9 months for the veterans to adjust to their "new normal" life

Military Culture:

  • More structured
  • Know the mission and expectations
  • Service members support & understand each other
  • Service members have a common goal and work as a team

Different from College:

  • Not as structured; expectations can be difficult to understand
  • Service members are different from traditional college students; much more aware of what is going on in the world
  • Can feel annoyed & angry towards uninformed students or students who complain about "petty things"
  • Lack of support for individuals

HELPFUL SERVICE

Available:

  • Veterans Service Organization

-- Help navigate the VA system

  • VA Medical Centers

-- Health/Mental Health services; PTSD care

  • Vet Centers

-- Readjustment counseling services

  • Military OneSource

-- Life issues; 24/7

  • Veterans Crisis Line

-- 1-800-273-8255; 24/7

  • Veterans Combat Call Center

-- Talk to another combat vet; 24/7

  • State resources

Preventative Service

  • Anti-stigma campaign: "Real Warriors Battles. Real Strength."
  • Mental Health Awarness training for service members

SUMMARY

Sometimes coming home from war is just the start of a battle.

  • War changes people
  • Reluctant to seek help
  • Stigma perpetuated
  • Lack of understanding
  • Veterans are humans too!

LIFE

REFERENCES

  • NCBI - WWW Error Blocked Diagnostic. (n.d.). Retrieved November 2, 2022, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34283458/
  • Fitzgerald, K., Fitzgerald, K., & Fitzgerald, K. (2019, June 6). Challenges Veterans Face When Leaving the Military – Blinded Veterans Association. https://bva.org/challenges-veterans-face-when-leaving-the-military/
  • Mandriota, M. (2022, May 24). Mental Health in the U.S. Military: Where Are We Now? Psych Central. https://psychcentral.com/ptsd/mental-health-in-the-military
  • Assisting veterans with PTSD | Project 2.0 Foundation | United States. (n.d.). Project 2.0 Fdn. Retrieved November 3, 2022, from https://www.project2p0.org/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIv7br0vSQ-wIVojytBh0nGAz8EAAYAiAAEgKwzvD_BwE
  • Wounded Warrior Project. (n.d.). Mental Health Services for Veterans. Retrieved November 3, 2022, from https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/programs/mental-wellness?utm_source=google
  • Suitt, Thomas III. "High Suicide Rates among United States Service Members and Veterans of the Post9/11 Wars." Cost of War research series, 2021.
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