Thursday, December 19, 2019

Mental Health Issues in the Military - 3357 Words

Michael Alster Any American would be hard-pressed to turn on the news and not find something, anything, said about Operation Iraqi Freedom. The war in Iraq is one of the most publicized (and controversial) topics so far of the 21st century. Unfortunately, a common headline reads something like this: â€Å"5 Marines killed in Baghdad Today,† â€Å"15 American troops injured in a suicide bomb attack in Tikrit this morning.† What about the casualties that aren’t reported on the news? The troops that suffer - not from physical wounds that can heal, be stitched up, or adapted to live with – but from non-visible scars. Mental injuries are becoming increasingly common among today’s decorated war heroes. Many are too embarrassed, scared or†¦show more content†¦It starts out slowly as a dream, perhaps, or as a daydream, and escalates into depression, insomnia, anxiety, alienation and rage. It is thought that stress increases someone’s chance of dev eloping PTSD after a traumatic event. Therefore, to reduce the risk of the disorder, there is a need to reduce the stress and increase training so that soldiers know what to expect, how to handle it when it occurs, and what to do when they can’t handle it. It is agreed across the board that the United States Military provides prevention training to its soldiers. Each branch of the military is supposed to provide this training to each of its soldiers before, during, and after their deployment. This can be as important as teaching a new soldier how to clean his gun. Sometimes though, factors like timing and money dictate if the training is actually administered, and mental health training may be the first to go. Also, the military provides soldiers with a variety of mental health services. A search of the army medicine website, armymedicine.army.mil, reveals news on mental health and a link to the army’s behavioral health website. Information about the various services the Department of Defense offers are scattered over several websites. Again, Operation Iraqi Freedom’s budget limits the availability and accessibility of these services. Unless a soldier requests help, it’s usually not offered. Many soldiers ask, â€Å"Why me? Why not the guy next to me? WeShow MoreRelatedMental Health Accommodations For Our Military Men And Women Sufficient1548 Words   |  7 PagesAre mental health accommodations for our military men and women sufficient? Soldiers are put through trying conditions when deployed. Many of the men and women are sent to a foreign country away from their homes full of the people they love the most, who are spending their time with a worry in the back of their mind if they will get the chance to hold, touch, or see their loved ones ever again. Often, the soldiers who do make it back home to their families tend to develop some mental problems overRead MoreAlcohol Use Among Veterans And The Military Essay1436 Words   |  6 Pages Alcohol Use Among Veterans and the Military Alcohol use and abuse is prevalent among members of the United States military as well as among the veteran population. Binge and heavy drinking is commonplace among the military and veterans. Veterans and members of the active duty military face a unique set of challenges when compared to the civilian population. There is a trend of combat exposure leading to a higher risk to abuse alcohol. For over a decadeRead MoreMilitary For Civilian Life And Supporting Their Families1046 Words   |  5 PagesMilitary returning to Civilian Life and supporting their Families Millions of combat veterans are returning from various campaigns including Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and America’s latest campaigns in Afghanistan and will need support to transition from military combat life to family life and a civilian existence. A variety of support personnel and services are needed to help veterans transition successfully. Veterans suffer from physical and mental health problems whichRead MoreMilitary For Civilian Life And Supporting Their Families1032 Words   |  5 PagesMilitary returning to Civilian Life and supporting their Families Millions of combat veterans are returning from various campaigns including Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and America’s latest campaigns in Afghanistan and will need support to transition from military combat life to family life and a civilian existence. A variety of support personnel and services are needed to help veterans transition successfully. Veterans suffer from physical and mental health problems whichRead MoreMixed Agency : An Ethical Dilemma1591 Words   |  7 PagesMixed Agency: An Ethical Dilemma Military mental health providers hold dual roles as clinicians and commissioned officers. While they are bound by the ethical code and professional guidelines of their profession, they are also held to the standard of Department of Defense (DoD) statutes and regulations. They are expected to provide competent clinical care but also enforce military boundaries and discipline (McCauley, Hacker Hughes, Liebling-Kalifani, 2008). Likewise, there may be duality inRead MoreFamily Violence During Military Families Essay1265 Words   |  6 PagesFamily Violence in military families Family violence, including both child maltreatment and spouse abuse, is a public health concern in both military and civilian populations. Physical abuse represents more than 90% of all substantiated cases of spouse abuse in military families, followed by emotional abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse (Tasso, Whitmarsh, Ordway, 2016). There is 4 types of intimate violence (1) patriarchal/intimate terrorism, (2) violence resistance, (3) common/situational coupleRead MorePost Traumatic Stress Disorder in Troops Leaving Iraq1032 Words   |  4 PagesAmerican Army on the health of the military troops that have just returned from Iraq. It has been found that one in every right soldier is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Another important fact mentioned in the report is that more than half of the military soldiers from these are in a need of help but do not make their conditions public as they could be suspended from the army that can hurt their careers. A few months earlier, a survey was carried out on the mental health of the marinesRead MoreRemoving Barriers For Mental Health Services For Veterans826 Words   |  4 PagesTemple University Donna Lea Wiggins Removing Barriers to Mental Health Services for Veterans Summary Rates of trauma and mental illness are reported to be disproportionately higher among American veterans, especially those of the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The barriers to care after civilian reentry further disadvantage this already vulnerable population. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have been the longest sustained US military operations since the Vietnam era, sending more than 2.2Read MoreI Am Writing About The Bill s Mental Health Care Access Act1248 Words   |  5 Pagesyour bill H.R. 1604, Veteran’s Mental Health Care access Act, which you cosponsor. The bill calls for veterans to be eligible for mental health care at non Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities, regardless of when they enrolled in the VA health care system or seek care at a VA facility, or the location of the veteran s residence. Mental illness is very common among men and women who serve in our military. According to American Psychiatric Association (2015), military men and women face unique challengesRead MoreEpidemiology of Homeless1613 Words   |  7 PagesEpidemiology of Homeless/Indigent People with Mental Illness Vulnerable populations are defined in many ways. Variables of the definition are dependent on the author, their current location and how they believe that they may assist this population. Vulnerability as defined in a healthcare setting are those with a greater than average risk of developing health problems by virtue of their marginalized sociocultural status, their limited access to economic resources, or personal characteristics such

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.