Tbi Intervention

PTSD and suicide are two things that are very common among veterans in the U.S.. A recent study has shown that there are a much as 8,000 veteran suicides a

There are an alarming number of veterans who suffer from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and depression. The suicide rate on returning veterans is on the rise. In California, service members were killing themselves and family members at an alarming rate. After an investigation, it was apparent that they do not have enough properly trained individuals to over see

As a consequence of the stresses of war and inadequate job training, when they get out of the service many have fallen behind their contemporaries. If they are fortunate enough to become employed, many of them are unable to hold a job due to untreated PTSD and acquired addictions without services and counseling designed for them. These factors may place our returning veterans at a higher risk of suicide. In 2007, the US Army reported that there were 115 suicides among OIF/OEF veterans. This was the highest number of suicides reported since the Army started keeping track about 30 years ago. In general, the risk for suicide among these veterans was not higher than that found in the U.S. population (Tull). However, there are several programs and 24 hour suicide hotlines available for those that may contemplate committing suicide as an option.

The mission statement of the VA Social Workers is to eliminate significant barriers to clients in need and offer interventions for veterans and families. It is accomplished by developing and maintaining integrated, in-depth programs in patient care, research, and education (Hoffer, Elizabeth. F., Dekle, Judith. Ward., & Sheets, Carol., 2014). Its proposed 11 percent to 20 percent of Iraq, Afghanistan veterans as well as 30 percent of Vietnam vets encounter (PTSD) posttraumatic stress disorder traumatic incidents like combat can lead to PTSD, military sexual trauma of military service member, and veterans may possibly deal with depression, anxiety in addition to other mental health concerns. Vets distress from these mental health and cognitive

Although American service members have felt the lasting effects of combat throughout the history of the nation, it was not until 1980 that Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder was formally added to the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Once referred to as “irritable heart” or “shell-shock,” PTSD made its way into the national spotlight in the years following the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan due to U.S. military members having difficulty reintegrating into civilian life. High rates of suicide, depression, and elevated levels of violent crime within the veteran community made the need to find an effective treatment of this disorder a top priority for the Veterans Health Administration. While it is widely accepted by medical professionals that there is no single, definitive cure for PTSD, many different methods have been cultivated within the past 15 years that make coping with it an easier process; some to a greater extent than others. While medications, namely antidepressants and benzodiazepines, usually find themselves at the forefront of any discussion regarding mental debilitation, they are not a one-size-fits-all solution to the problems that combat veterans face. As this particular disorder is attached to a certain memory or traumatic occurrence, alternative methods of rehabilitation such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Prolonged Exposure (PE) have also shown promise in

One the problems facing veterans is the misconception to a large extent of mental health issues. The studies of post-traumatic stress disorder affects over 15 percent of veterans returning from the Middle East and another 16 percent are diagnosed with something called TBI (traumatic brain injury). Traumatic brain injury is usually cause by an IED (improvised explosive devices) during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom against foreign enemies. PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) is normally caused by traumatic events like war in veterans who can’t handle the stress of seeing someone shot, blown to pieces, and friends in their arms dying. Reports of veterans still experiencing some symptoms of PTSD from the Vietnam War and this issues is long term.

These various stakeholders are all concerned about the same thing: the health and well-being of the active duty service members, reservists, and veterans. This is especially true when U.S. soldiers and veterans are unable to care for their own health due to mental illness. The existing landscape is a flawed Veterans Affairs system that many are calling for a complete overhaul. There are programs in place through the DoD that cause a “healthy soldier effect” in currently serving active duty and reservists, but this is not enough to cause a “healthy soldier effect” once they become veterans. The advantage to forming policy for veterans is to play off the current infrastructure, but the disadvantage is that the infrastructure is in dire need of assistance.

Only six of the twenty use VA services (VA Suicide Prevention Program, 2016). Although six used VA services this does not necessarily mean the veteran is seeking mental health assistance. The issue of military and veteran suicide should be addressed as an issues of its own, the stigma of mental illness as a contributing

There is currently limited information regarding the long-term effects of brain injuries sustained in battle (Mass et al., 2008). In the military population, TBI cases are sometimes co-morbid with post-traumatic stress disorder. Post-traumatic stress disorder and TBI can present with similar symptoms of cognitive impairment, which further complicates the process of making an accurate diagnosis (Tanev, Pentel, Kredlow, & Charney, 2014).

In the article, “Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Veterans with Depression and Suicidal Ideation,” by Gregory K. Brown, Bradley E. Karlin, Mickey Trockel, Maria Gordienko, Jerry Yesavage & C. Barr Taylor (2016) wanted to examine effects of therapy on veterans that were living with depression. Since 20% of veteran’s deaths were suicidal in America. The hypothesis that was tested was if veterans went to therapy, the rate of suicide and depression would decrease.

Among U.S. military service members, mental health disorders comprise significant morbidity, disability, health care utilization, and attrition from military service.1 Mental health disorders account for more hospitalizations of U.S. service members than any other major diagnostic category, and mental disorder-related hospitalizations and incidence have continued to increase since 2006.2,3 Some studies of veterans of military deployment have revealed higher rates of posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and other mental health disorders among repeat deployers compared to first time deployers.4,5 Yet, other studies have found little evidence of causal relationships between repeat deployments and mental health effects such as suicide.6

An accumulating body of empirical data suggests that current Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) psychiatric disability and rehabilitation policies for combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are problematic. In combination, recent administrative trends and data from epidemiological and clinical studies suggest these policies are countertherapeutic and hinder research efforts to advance our knowledge regarding PTSD. Current VA disability policies require fundamental reform to bring them into line with modern science and medicine, including current empirically supported concepts of resilience and psychiatric rehabilitation. (Grubaugh & Buckley 2008).

Although previous studies have found that PTSD, insomnia, depression, and alcohol abuse, each of which as an independent factor, are all related to the increase in suicide risk for military veterans (Allan et al., 2017, p. 301; McKinney, Hirsch, & Britton, 2017, p. 100; Rojas, Bujarski, Babson, Dutton, & Feldner, 2014, p. 322), an integrated approach to interweave all those factors together has yet been made. In sum, Military veteran PTSD-related suicide is associated with insomnia, depression, and alcohol

However, for the purpose of this paper I will focus on the roles that stigma and social support as they describe in the study. This study is an example of results finding evidence contrary to my primary argument. The participants who utilized mental health services actually scored lower on reported post-deployment social support than others. In addition, those who utilized treatment did not report lower stigma levels. However, concerns about discrimination were significantly higher in participants who received psychotherapy and medication than in both other groups. The other groups included psychotherapy alone, medication alone, or no treatment. These concerns about discrimination include items in a questionnaire such as “I believe my employer will discriminate against me because I am receiving mental health care”. This fear of discrimination is another form of a stigma. Employers should not discriminate against those receiving mental health care, instead they should positively affirm their utilization of resources to address their issues. As for those who received care that reported low post-deployment social support, they could be receiving treatment because their symptoms have worsened because of low social support. Furthermore, not every veteran that is screened for modifying factors of PTSD is screened at the VA, which is where the study took place.

According to Harned, Jackson, Comtois, and Linehan (2010), individuals that have been diagnosed with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are at an increased risk for suicidal thoughts and behavior and non-suicidal self-inflicted injury. The U.S. National Comorbidity Survey found that individuals with PTSD were six times more likely to attempt suicide and five times more likely to report thoughts of suicide than those without PTSD (Kessler, 2000).