Soldier Mental Health in Iraq: Combat Social Work
Ohio NASW State Conference, 14NOV08
Dr. Vaughn DeCoster
CPT, MS, USAR
University of Arkansas,
School of Social Work
Referenced Documents
○ Combat stress doctrine (FM 4-02.51) – theory and protocols currently in use by U.S. Army
○ Army’ interactive suicide prevention video, Army’s Life-or-Death Drama – article in the Washington Post (Oct 8, 2008), with link to demo.
○ Virtual reality treatment of PTSD & Combat Stress, NPR report (April 15, 2005).
○ Vet courts, USA Today article (July 6, 2008)
○ Service dogs assist Vets, NYT article (Nov. 11, 2008)
○ TBI, NYT article (Aug. 25, 2008)
OIF/OEF Mental health related articles
○ Hoge et al. (2006) Mental Health Problems, Use of Mental Health Services, and Attrition From Military Service After Returning From Deployment
to Iraq or Afghanistan. JAMA, 295:1023-1032.
○ Kaplan, M., Huguet, N., McFarland, B., & Newsom, J. (2007).
Suicide among male veterans: A prospective population-based study. Journal of Epidemiology, 61, 619-24.
○ Milliken, C., Auchterlonie, J., & Hoge, C. (2007). Returning from the Iraq war among active and reserve component soldiers: Longitudinal assessment of mental health problems. JAMA, 298(18), 2141-48.
○ Morgan, D. (2004). Terry Bradshaw's winning drive against depression. USA Today (30JAN2004).
Useful YouTube videos
○ What Baghdad looks like on the ground.
○ Mortar attack inside a solid bunker
○ Mortar attack in a non-enforced shelter
○ CNN story on EFPs, looks mild from what I witnessed.
Resources
○ Medical Alogrithyms - More than 12,500 Scales, Tools, Assessments, Scoring Systems, and other Algorithms intended for Medical Education
and for Biomedical Research. Search for combat stress, most scales are standardized and scored on the web!
○ Military One Source – EAP-like program for all military personnel, 6 free sessions with civilian mental health provider.
○ Archdiocese for Military
Services (www.milarch.org) – programs and services for Roman Catholic Service-members and their families, click RESOURCES.
○ Army Behavioral Health
(www.behavioralhealth.army.mil) – information, materials, videos, and Army specific forms for Soldiers and families organized by pre/post deployment,
National Guard, Reserve on mental health topics such as PTSD, TBI, suicide prevention, provider resiliency training.
○ Army Battlemind (www.battlemind.army.mil)
– strategies and materials focusing on building resilience among soldiers, units, and their families across the deployment
cycle.
○ U.S. Army Center for Health
Promotion and Preventive Medicine (http://chppm-www.apgea.army.mil) – resource for health materials, search for SUICIDE PREVENTION webpage.
○ Army Deputy Chief of Staff
Suicide Prevention Website (www.armyg1.army.mil/hr/suicide) – USA materials, links to other
suicide prevention websites, contact numbers, and commander’s suicide prevention toolkit.
○ Army Suicide Prevention
Team (Work: 703-604-0620, DSN: 664-0620).
○ Army Families Online
(www.armyfamiliesonline.org) – website and online community with information and resource for numerous health and personal problems, across deployment
cycle.
○ Army Reserve Family Programs
(www.arfp.org) or AR Warrior & Family Assistance Center (www.arfp.org/wfac, 866-436-6290) – training, awareness, outreach, information, referral, and follow-ups for U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers, families, friends. Contact list for family programs, click bottom-left hand corner CONTACT
US tab.
