What’s New
April is the Month of the Military Child
Children grow and thrive in loving and safe homes. The challenges military families face while serving the nation can interfere with parents’ ability to provide for the changing and complex needs of their children. In recognition of April as the Month of the Military Child, our goal is to raise awareness among community service providers of military programs that strengthen military families.
Joining Forces Joining Family, Spring 2019
Exposure of children to intimate partner violence (IPV) is an important and potentially overlooked form of child maltreatment. The Spring 2019 issue of Joining Forces Joining Families newsletter focuses on the subject of children exposed to IPV. We feature an interview with two noted researchers in the area of child maltreatment, Melissa Kimber, PhD, and Harriet MacMillan, MD, both of McMaster University in Ontario, Canada. Other features of this edition are a brief literature review on children exposed, police responses to IPV when children are present, and websites providing resources on the topic. Previous issues of the newsletter can be found here.
MARCH IS BRAIN INJURY AWARENESS MONTH
In support of the Department of Defense’s effort to increase awareness of traumatic brain injury (TBI), the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress will distribute information and resources to educate and support the community on issues of TBI.
Please click HERE for more information
Army STARRS: Volume 3, Issue 2, Updated Mar 25, 2019
This document is an ongoing continuous summary of Army STARRS and STARRS-LS publications. Army STARRS (2009-2015) was 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 2020.
Podcast - Ms. Patricia Barron interviews Dr. Stephen Cozza
Ms. Patricia Barron, Director of Family Readiness at the Association of the United States Army interviews Dr. Stephen Cozza, Associate Director of the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress (CSTS) and Director of the Child and Family Program at CSTS. Dr. Cozza's interview focuses on supporting the needs of military children and families and includes an overview of CSTS's Stepping Forward in Grief study.
Click HERE for the podcast
Henry Pratt Company Workplace Shooting Disaster Response and Recovery Resources
Acts of mass violence, such as the mass shooting at the Henry Pratt Company in Aurora, Illinois, cause extreme disruption and can be distressful for individuals, families and communities. Those receiving assistance as well as those involved in disaster management efforts can be affected. Ongoing national media exposure creates a disaster “community” that extends far beyond the geographic region of the event. Individual and community strength can be enhanced by interventions that address critical behavioral health issues throughout response and recovery phases. Ideal interventions promote the evidence-based principles of Psychological First Aid (PFA), including: safety, calming, self- and community-efficacy, social connectedness, and a sense of hope/optimism. Information relevant to this event and links to succinct, actionable education fact sheets can be found below.
Click HERE for resources that provide disaster mental health information to assist families, responders, community leaders, and healthcare providers in response and recovery efforts.
Leveraging Technology in Military Mental Health
Dr. Ursano, Dr. Wynn and Dr. Morganstein are presenting at the NATO Human Factors and Medicine Meeting. The meeting explores Leveraging Technology in Military Mental Health covering Big Data and Machine Learning.
Leveraging technology represents the greatest opportunity for advancing military mental health in over a century. Across the NATO alliance all partners are contending with a significant mental health burden particularly in military relevant areas e.g. PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), suicide. Leveraging technology will be part of a concentrated effort to mitigate its impact. Oncology, cardiology, radiology and surgery have made incredible advances over the past two to three decades aided in large part by leveraging technology. Mental health is lagging behind in the application of these advances. Big data, biomarkers, neuro-imaging, mobile and online interventions, simulation and serious gaming will augment or replace conventional approaches across the key domains of military mental health (i.e. research, education/training, diagnosis, treatment and prevention). Taking advantage of these technologies will contribute to greater force readiness and enhance treatment of the ill and injured.
Borderline Bar & Grill Shooting Disaster Response and Recovery Resources
Acts of mass violence, such as the mass shooting at the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks, California cause extreme disruption and can be distressful for individuals, families and communities. Those receiving assistance as well as those involved in disaster management efforts can be affected. Ongoing national media exposure creates a disaster "community" that extends far beyond the geographic region of the event. Individual and community strength can be enhanced by interventions that address critical behavioral health issues throughout response and recovery phases. Ideal interventions promote the evidence-based principles of Psychological First Aid (PFA), including: safety, calming, self- and community-efficacy, social connectedness, and a sense of hope/optimism.
Click HERE for resources that provide disaster mental health information to assist families, responders, community leaders, and healthcare providers in response and recovery efforts.
Research Review: Volume 3, Issue 2 Fall 2018
Research Review is a Joining Forces Joining Families publication. This issue presents articles on how intimate partner violence (IPV) can affect a victim in the workplace, animal abuse and its association with IPV, how providers can inquire about the welfare of a pet, parental burnout and its association with child maltreatment, challenges of working with batterers, and controlling behavior as IPV and child maltreatment. Other summaries of articles on child maltreatment include the misattribution of infants’ personalities by parents and caretakers and its relation to the risk of child maltreatment, and the risk of violence to child protection workers.
5 Steps to Save a Life
Suicide is an important public health issue for our communities. Knowing how to help others gives us confidence to reach out and connect with people who seem to be hurting or having difficulties. This "5 Steps to Save a Life" resource is adapted from the National Institute of Mental Health and lists simple steps one can take that may ultimately save someone's life.
Below are pdf versions of the content on a flyer as well as folding card (suitable for printing) FREE to download and share throughout your organization and community.
PTSD Brain Bank News Spot
News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports
The Uniformed Services University and Veteran's Administration have partnered to open the national PTSD Brain Bank, where researchers will investigate the impact of stress, trauma and PTSD on brain tissue. This work is being conducted in order to advance the scientific knowledge of PTSD, particularly the identification of PTSD biomarkers. Recent media coverage of the Brain Bank, its relevance and potential impacts can be found here.