"The present study is limited to the programs of colleges and universities designed to meet the needs of the veterans. Its primary purpose is to make a survey of the policies and programs of a cross-section of institutions in the nation and to evaluate the programs in light of needs and purposes of veterans as shown by certain surveys....in conclusion the following evaluation is made of the results of this study: 1. The men and women returning from the armed forces to civilian life will have many adjustments to make. To facilitate these adjustments, additional education in many instances will be required. 2. The federal government has made it possible for a much larger number of veterans to return to school than could resume their education otherwise. 3. Not only will the students be more numerous than before, they will be more heterogeneous, thus presenting more complex problems for the schools. The changes being made to accomodate the veterans are obviously changes which do not fundamentally alter the characteristics of higher education. They are changes in the mechanics of education designed to assist veterans in making proper adjustments to academic and civilian life as quickly and as easily as possible."-- leaves 2,96.

Few studies directly compare the physiological consequences of anger under a variety of induction methods. The current study explored the patterns of cardiovascular responding associated with varying anger induction methods, specifically personal anger memory recall through verbalization versus imagery in a sample of Vietnam combat veterans with and without Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Spoken anger produced greater elevations in blood pressure than anger that was recalled through imagery but not spoken. This was true even after controlling for the metabolic activity associated with speech. However, for veterans with PTSD, anger imagery was also sufficient to produce an elevated response in cardiovascular activity.

Millions of Americans have served in the military, and improved survival rates in wars have increased the percentage of those who return home. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the most prevalent mental health diagnoses for veterans. Although few studies have examined the link, previous research as well as the minority stress model and transgenerational trauma theories, suggest that race may be associated with PTSD, particularly in military samples. The current study examined whether there were differences in PTSD symptomology (global and symptom cluster-specific) based on veterans’ race and whether group therapy effectively reduced symptoms of PTSD. Data were collected from male veterans who identified as non-Hispanic Caucasian or non-Hispanic African American (N = 450) and participated in a 10-week, combat-related, group therapy PTSD Recovery Program between 2010 and 2014. Participants completed the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist- Military version (PCL-M) measure at three time points (intake, pre-treatment, and post-treatment). Global PTSD symptoms and three of the four symptom clusters did not differ between African American and Caucasian participants at intake. However, the symptom cluster of re-experiencing was higher for African Americans compared to Caucasians at intake. Additionally, the Recovery Program led to a reduction in PCL-M scores. This symptom reduction occurred regardless of race, with neither racial group improving more than the other. Moreover, dropout rates for the Recovery Program were on par or better than those for other trauma-focused therapies. Although the overall racial and ethnic composition of groups was not related to most outcomes, the percentage of racial/ethnic minority members in groups was negatively associated with the number of sessions attended for Caucasians. Findings also indicated that the PCL-M demonstrated good psychometric properties in an African American sample. One implication from this study is that the current conceptualization and measurement of PTSD may be insufficient. It may be more helpful to examine specific PTSD symptom clusters, especially when assessing differences by race. The effectiveness of the PTSD Recovery Program supports alternative options to treating veterans with PTSD in the VA system. Last, it is important for therapists to consider the composition of groups when conducting group therapy.

Excerpt: Tinnitus: Clinical and Research Perspectives summarizes contemporary findings from basic and clinical research regarding tinnitus mechanisms, effects, and interventions. The text features a collection of international authors, active researchers, and clinicians who provide an expansive scope of material that ensures relevance for patients and professionals. Reviews and reports of contemporary research findings underscore the text s value for classroom use in audiology and otolaryngology programs. Patients and students of audiology will benefit from the text s coverage of tinnitus mechanisms, emerging practice considerations, and expectations for outcomes--for example, recent successes of cognitive behavioral therapy, neuromodulation, and hearing aid use. These and other topics, such as the effects of noise and drugs on tinnitus, are reported in a way that enhances clinicians ability to weave such strategies into their own work. The influence of tinnitus on all aspects of life is explored, from art to medicine and communication to isolation, thereby providing clinicians and patients a deeper understanding of and greater facility managing a tinnitus experience. Finally, this text includes case studies that provide a practical view of tinnitus effects and management approaches. The editors hope that the consideration of mechanisms, interventions, and outcomes resonates with patients, clinicians, and students of audiology.

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Objectives: To describe the prevalence of sensory dysfunction (i.e. auditory, visual, vestibular, chemosensory and multiple sensory problems) and explore associations with traumatic brain injury (TBI) severity and injury mechanism among deployed Post-9/11 Veterans. Methods: This retrospective cohort analysis used Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs diagnostic codes and administrative data. Results:Among the 570,248 Veterans in this cohort, almost 23% had at least one diagnosis of sensory dysfunction. In the multinomial regression analysis, the odds of all types of sensory dysfunction were greater among those with any TBI relative to those with no TBI. The odds for auditory or multisensory problems were higher among those that indicated exposure to blast. In particular, exposure to quaternary blast injury (e.g. crush, respiratory and burn injuries) was associated with increased odds for auditory, visual, vestibular and multisensory problems. Conclusions:Sensory problems affect a substantial number of deployed Post-9/11 Veterans and are more common among those with TBI or with exposure to deployment-related blast exposure. Because sensory problems profoundly impact quality of life, their identification and enhanced education and therapy are vital tools to improve prognosis for these relatively young Veterans.

This Bachelor’s thesis was conducted with the purpose of forming a broader foundation of ideas for questions about caring for veterans in Sweden. The problem at hand was identified through reading of readily available and widely cited Swedish research on the subject. This research mainly establishes a narrative in which Swedish veterans are healthy at group level - both compared to the Swedish civilian population and international veteran populations. This thesis does not challenge this conclusion, but considers the causation utilized in the research as problematic. Establishing that Sweden should conduct debate and policy concerning its veterans on contemporary knowledge in the field – this study analyses the most recent policy investigation conducted by the government, SOU2014:27. The main questions concern descriptive ambitions and simply ask what causations these policy documents recognize in describing and curing mental illness among veterans and whether contemporary identity perspectives are represented in these ideas or not. The study is based on Vedung’s ideas of the political idea and utilizes an idea analysis method with ideal types as analytical instruments – a research design strongly guided by Bergström and Boréus. The findings show that Swedish policy is mostly established on traditional ideas concerning mental illness among veterans – although a big part of the policy concerning the involvement of society at large, can be interpreted as identity driven ideas. The main conclusion is that empirics indicate a presence of stigmatizing military identities among Swedish veterans. To truly understand the Swedish veteran population and their well-being, there is an urgent need for further research on this topic in particular.

The study investigated the association between body mass index (BMI) and depression based upon glycated hemoglobin levels (HBA1C) among United States veterans. Based on Bandura's social cognitive theory, a cross-sectional analysis examined the association between BMI and depression on HBA1C regulation, and if the interaction between BMI and depression affects HBAIC regulation among veterans. Multiple regression analysis was used to test the multivariate associations between depression and BMI on the outcome variable of HBA1C. Linearity, normality, and homoscedasticity were assessed using normal probability plots and residual analysis. Durbin-Watson statistics were used to test for autocorrelations, and variance inflation factor was used to check for multicollinearity. There was not a statistically significant difference between those who were depressed (Mdn = 32.76, IQR = 7.8) and those who were not depressed (Mdn = 33.27, IQR = 5.0) in terms of BMI (U = 774.0, p = 0.47). When depression, BMI, an interaction term for depression*BMI, and other predictor variables were entered into the regression model, these variables did not account for a significant increase in shared variance in HBA1C (Î?R2 = 0.17, F (14, 74) = 0.17, p = 0.37). Social change implications generated from this study include better resource utilization, improved quality of care, increased veteran satisfaction and improved veteran experience across the healthcare system. The findings from the study can be used to expand access to specialized services for chronically ill veterans, coordinate resources, better outcomes and facilitate seamless care coordination between mental health and primary care providers

Former United States military members have consistently faced mental health concerns post discharge from the military. Some researchers have argued that the use of mental health services by veterans does not parallel the prevalence and need of such services (Hoge, Castro, Messer, McGurk, Cotting, & Koffman, 2004; Milliken, Auchterlonie, & Hoge, 2007; Vogt, 2011). Reasons why veterans do not access mental health care are varied and broad, however, they tend to be consistent with explanations rooted in the stigma of mental health care, and in the barriers that prevent the use of mental health care. The degree of the impact of factors contributing to stigma and barriers to mental health care is not fully understood. Particularly lacking from previous research is an examination of how the education received while in the military about mental health symptoms and treatment impacts the likelihood that a service member will access care. In the current study, I used theories of stigma and barriers to care outlined by Overton and Medina (2008) to examine the relationships among demographic characteristics, self-reported diagnoses of common mental health disorders that veterans experience, and likelihood of accessing mental health care based on the education received while in the military with self-reported levels of stigma and barriers to care in a sample of 355 former military service members from several branches. Multiple regression analyses were used to examine the relationships among these variables. Results revealed statistically significant relationships among gender, age, self-reported diagnosis of depression, the impact of education, and stigma. Results also revealed statistically significant relationships among employment and barriers to care. In addition, stigma was found to have significant relationships with the positive impact of education, and the likelihood of accessing care. Lastly, results revealed that when in the presence of the mediation variable impact of education, stigma was no longer associated with the likelihood veterans would access care post discharge.

The veteran population is under-served. Due to the current circumstances of increased deployment and the rate of returning soldiers from current wars (Iraq and Afghanistan); there is an increased demand for competent social workers to provide them with services. Furthermore, the Department of Veteran Affairs is the number one employer of social workers. Hence, measuring the knowledge of social work students is essential to explore their competence of working with the veteran population. The study presents an exploratory research method, using a quantitative approach. Further, students’ knowledge was measured in ten domains: Benefits and Services, Service Related Disabilities, PTSD/Trauma, Childcare, Homelessness/Housing, Military Sexual Trauma, Healthcare, Employment/Unemployment, Education, and General Knowledge. In addition, the sample was compromised of social work students throughout different Southern California Universities. An online survey was administered to participants through Qualtrics website; and statistical analysis conducted by using SPSS version 21. Findings suggest that MSW students have a higher level of knowledge than BASW students in most of the domains. In addition, older participants presented a greater amount of knowledge than younger participants. Due to the results of the study, future research should measure a larger amount of participants that are evenly distributed among all demographics. Further, the study should encompass all universities that offer social work programs.