What’s New
Amygdala: Dr. Kalin's Lecture Available
Dr. Kalin's Presentation: Brain, Behavior, and Mind Lecture
For more information about Dr. Kalin and the lecture please visit Amygdala, Stress, PTSD Conference site
September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month
September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Rates of suicide in the United States has risen and it continues to be a leading cause of death. In 2019 alone, more than 47,500 lives were lost to suicide (CDC Report, 2020).
Please click HERE for information and resources to support suicide awareness.
Hurricane Idalia DISASTER RESOURCES TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY RECOVERY
Catastrophic natural disasters, such as Hurricane Idalia, cause extreme disruption and can be distressful for individuals, families, and communities. For resources please click HERE
MAUI WILDFIRES DISASTER MENTAL HEALTH RESPONSE AND RECOVERY RESOURCES
Catastrophic natural disasters, such as the Maui wildfires, cause extreme disruption and can be distressful for individuals, families and communities. Please click HERE for brief, action-oriented fact sheets as well as additional information to help individuals, communities, and organizations in the aftermath of the Maui wildfires.
Army STARRS: Volume 7 Issue 3, Updated June 7, 2023
This document is an ongoing continuous summary of Army STARRS and STARRS-LS publications. STARRS/STARRS LS (2009 - present) is the largest and most comprehensive research project of mental health among U.S. Army Soldiers ever conducted. The project was designed to examine a broad range of risk and resilience (protective) factors across a complex set of outcomes including suicidal behaviors and associated mental health issues. Army STARRS scientists created a series of large and extensive databases with the potential to achieve groundbreaking results. These databases allow scientists to investigate a diverse combination of factors from demographic, psychological, biological, neurological, behavioral, and social domains with the goal of generating actionable findings for the Army. The project was designed using an adaptive approach which means it evolved as new information became available over the course of the project. The research team shared preliminary findings, as they became available, with senior Army leadership so the Army could apply them to its ongoing health promotion, risk reduction, and suicide prevention efforts. The work is continuing under the STARRS Longitudinal Study (STARRS-LS) which runs from 2015 to 2025.
CSTS 2022 Annual Report
Immediately available for viewing is the 2022 CSTS Annual Report. In this comprehensive report, you can read summaries of the Center's work in responding to the mental health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as our continuing work in both military and civilian populations to enhance psychological health, speed the recovery from, and help prevent the negative consequences of trauma on individuals, families, communities, and the nation.
COVENANT SCHOOL SHOOTINGS: MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY RECOVERY
Acts of mass violence, such as the shootings at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee cause extreme disruption within communities. Acts of violence against children are particularly distressing, and their occurrence at locations that are often thought of as safe havens, such as schools, further undermine feelings of safety within a community. Victims, family, friends, first responders, emergency personnel, and community leaders are among those affected. Caring for the mental health needs of communities and promoting resilience and recovery requires prompt interventions by educating people on common responses to trauma and the ways this may look different in children, providing guidance on actions to foster individual and family well-being, and ensuring access to timely resources and care when needed.
Please click HERE for a resources
WAR IN UKRAINE MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES
Exposure to war causes a wide range of harmful mental health effects. Those living in Ukraine, refugees who are displaced, family and friends of Ukrainian citizens, as well as communities watching around the world may experience responses such as anger, fear, trouble with sleep, increased use of substances, and others. Reactions in children can be similar but may also include reverting to earlier childhood behaviors, isolation, aggression, and diminished school performance. Identifying these responses and providing early interventions can lower distress, enhance well-being, and improve the ability to care for ourselves and our families.
УКРАЇНСЬКА Po polsku русский 日本語
Please click HERE for resources
MISSISSIPPI TORNADOES: MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY RECOVERY
Catastrophic disasters, such as the tornadoes in Mississippi, cause suffering and death, as well as extreme disruption and distress for communities. Response and recovery are complicated in communities still recovering from other disasters. Please click HERE for brief and easy-to-read education fact sheets with recommended actions to protect the mental health and well-being of individuals and communities impacted by the tornadoes.
Turkey-Syria Earthquakes: Mental Health Resources to Support Community Recovery
Catastrophic disasters, such as the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, cause suffering and death, as well as extreme disruption and distress for communities. Please click HERE for brief and easy-to-read education fact sheets with recommended actions to protect the mental health and well-being of individuals and communities impacted by the earthquakes.
Monterey Park & Half Moon Bay Shootings Resources to Support Community Recovery
Acts of mass violence, such as the shootings in California at the ballroom dance studio in Monterey Park and mushroom farm in Half Moon Bay cause extreme disruption within communities. Victims, family, friends, first responders and emergency personnel, as well as community leaders are among those affected. Ongoing and graphic media exposure expand the disaster “community” far beyond the geographic region of the event. Caring for the mental health needs of communities and promoting resilience and recovery requires prompt interventions that educate people on common responses to trauma, provides guidance on actions to foster individual and family well-being, and ensures resources are available when distress persists or other symptoms emerge.
Please click HERE for resources
Leadership After a Possible Suicide or Suicide Attempt
CSTS has created brief and easy-to-read resources that describe actions unit leadership can take to care for unit members and sustain readiness. When a service member is found injured or dead, the cause is often unknown. The cause may be a medical event, an accident, suicide, or suicide attempt. Leaders and unit members may feel uncertain about what to talk about, what not to talk about, and what to do.
Hurricane Ian Disaster Resources to Support Community Recovery
Catastrophic natural disasters, such as Hurricane Ian in Florida, cause extreme disruption and distress for communities. Response and recovery can be complicated in communities still recovering from other disasters, including previous extreme weather events and the global COVID-19 pandemic (resources can be found here). Below are brief and easy-to-read education fact sheets with recommended actions to protect the mental health and well-being of individuals, communities, and organizations during Hurricane Ian.
Please click HERE for resources
COVID-19 Pandemic Response Resources
This PAGE contains fact sheets and other resources to support the health and well-being of communities impacted by COVID-19
No permission is needed to use or adapt these fact sheets for you or your organization. These fact sheets are in the public domain and you may use it freely as it is helpful to you.
Cambridge University Press has made available a collection of free access Coronavirus materials. Included is a free access chapter from the Textbook of Disaster Psychiatry, "Pandemics: Health Care Emergencies" that can be accessed HERE
Suicide Prevention Program Site
Our Suicide Prevention Program site is live! The Center was entrusted to develop a Suicide Prevention Program to raise awareness of suicide as a public health problem and promote the mental health and well-being of Service members and beyond. The focus of the Program is to shape and support efforts across military and non-military populations to reduce suicidal behaviors and promote protective environments.
CSTS Doctoral Graduate Student Fellow awarded NRSA (F31) Grant
CSTS Doctoral Graduate Student Fellow Matthew Thompson received a National Research Service Award (NRSA/F31) from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) for his research project, entitled "Examining Suicide Risk from a Biopsychosocial Framework: A Large-Scale Cross-Sectional Study." This award will further support his dissertation research, which broadly aims to investigate the combined associations of brain structure and connectivity, genetic, and psychosocial risk indicators for suicide using large-scale biomedical data. His work is supported by his Co-Mentors, Dr. Marjan Holloway and Dr. Joshua Gray, collaborators within CSTS, and consultants at Emory University and Florida State University. Foundational research that was important to the development of Matt’s award application can be found in a preprint on bioRxiv.
More information on the CSTS Doctoral Graduate Student Fellowship can be found HERE.
Supporting Military-Connected LGBTQ+ Youth: Tips for Helping Professionals
16th Annual Amygdala, Stress, and PTSD Conference: Cells, Circuits, Sensors, and Stress
The 16th Annual Amygdala, Stress, and PTSD Conference occurred on Tuesday, April 19, 2022. The Amygdala, Stress, and PTSD Conference at the Uniformed Services University brings together scientists and clinicians working toward solving the biological basis of stress, fear, and posttraumatic stress disorder. View recordings of the presentations here.
Congratulations to the poster winners!
Medical IDs on Our Smartphones
Medical emergencies can occur unexpectedly and leave us unable to communicate important information, such as medical conditions, allergies, and emergency contacts. There is a simple and safe way to keep information
handy so that good samaritans and responders can help.
Click HERE to see how to add to your smartphone or print out a cut out for your wallet or purse
Managing Grief During the Holidays
The holiday season can be especially challenging for those who are bereaved. Memories of loved ones who have died will likely arise and can be painful reminders of the loss. As we enter the holiday season, here are a few tips for coping. [more]
Tornadoes Response and Recovery Resources
The tornadoes in the southern and central U.S were severe and wide-spanning, leading to billions of dollars in damages and claiming nearly a hundred lives across six states. The tornadoes also caused extreme disruption and distress for communities, adding to challenges of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic (resources can be found here). Below are brief and easy-to-read education fact sheets with recommended actions to protect the mental health and well-being of individuals, communities, and organizations following the tornadoes. [more]
Trauma and Resiliency in Military Families, with Dr. Stephen Cozza
Resources for the U.S. Capitol Attack
The recent attack on the U.S. Capitol has evoked a range of emotions as well as upset our beliefs about safety in our country. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) has developed resources to help children, families, and communities navigate what they are seeing and hearing, acknowledge their feelings, and find ways to cope together. Resources can be found at the below links:
Supporting Children After the U.S. Capitol Attack
Coping After Mass Violence
Pause-Reset-Nourish (PRN) to Promote Wellbeing
Parent Guidelines for Helping Youth After Mass Violence
Helping Youth after Community Trauma: Tips for Educators
Helping Teens with Traumatic Grief: Tips for Caregivers
Helping School-Age Children with Traumatic Grief: Tips for Caregivers
Helping Young Children with Traumatic Grief: Tips for Caregivers
The Power of Parenting: How to Help Your Child After a Parent or Caregiver Dies
Curriculum Recommendations for Disaster Health Professionals: Disaster Behavioral Health
Interactive, Mobile Website to Aid Healthcare Providers in Notifying Family Members of Unexpected Deaths
Healthcare providers receive little training on notifying family members of a loved one's unexpected death. The way this information is delivered can have a long-lasting impact on a family's health and well-being. CSTS has developed an interactive, mobile website to serve as a guide for healthcare providers who may find themselves in these situations. https://www.
DR. URSANO RECEIVES AMSUS LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Dr. Robert Ursano, Director of CSTS, Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of the USU, was awarded the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award of the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States (AMSUS). The AMSUS Lifetime Achievement Award is for a distinguished career of excellence in development, invention, and innovation in healthcare that is recognized internationally and makes significant fundamental contributions of lasting impact to better health outcomes in federal healthcare. AMSUS was founded by Congress in 1903 and is the Society of Federal Health Professionals.
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