Yonkman and Bridgeland (2009) and Nesbit (2011) have each offered studies in recent years in which military veterans reported possessing skills and values that facilitate civic engagement. I investigated these claims by exploring basic training in one branch of the United States (U.S.) military, the Marine Corps. I conducted semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 10 enlisted Marine Corps veterans and 7 drill instructors to ascertain their perceptions regarding the didactic aspirations and pedagogies of their service's basic training related to skills and values development. I utilized a civic capacities model developed by Verba, Schlozman, and Brady (1995) and Kirlin (2003) to examine whether Marines' entry training could be classified as civic in character. According to this study/s participants, Marine Corps Basic Training did teach skills and values that qualify as civic dispositions. I also explored several pedagogical strategies utilized by the Marines, such as learning communities, role modeling, narrative pedagogy and the use of a capstone exercise, which could be applied by civic educators. Topics for future research of the sort undertaken here include both national and international comparative studies of entry-level military training, the effects of combat on veterans' civic dispositions and whether and how community involvement can aid in veterans' transitions to civilian life. / Ph. D.

In five multi-method studies this dissertation examined how context based morality may explain increased incidence of combat related psychological difficulties among US service personnel. We were particularly interested in the relationship between causing harm to others and moral self-perceptions and related emotional consequences. In studies 1 and 2 we found that our samples of Iraq and Afghan war veterans reported that a soldier would feel increased levels of guilt and shame and negative moral judgments of the self when they return home and reflect on incidents of harm that may have occurred during their deployments. These two studies were supported by three short experiments showing that different moral judgments of harm were made depending on whether the harm doing was interpersonal or intergroup. Interpersonal harm doing was judged more harshly than intergroup harm leading us to believe that while in combat harm doing had minimal consequences on the self-perceptions and emotions of a soldier and that when they returned home to civilian life where interpersonal moral standards are more prevalent their self-perceptions and emotional wellbeing was affected by their prior conduct.

No description available.

Student Veterans experience a range of health and mental health challenges that may impact their social and academic functioning as they transition from military to student life. Of those in need of treatment, some do not receive support for successful integration into collegiate life. Recognizing the barriers to care faced by this population, a brief, non-stigmatizing psychosocial support intervention was developed to address the mental health needs of Student Veterans experiencing psychological distress. The intervention, called IPC-3, was adapted to be sensitive and inclusive of Veteran culture, norms, and values. It was delivered by peer providers and offered on campuses instead of at medical treatment facilities. IPC-3 trained and provided clinical supervision for peers through the Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Integration to Academic Leadership program, to leverage and expand capacity through an existing, care-delivery pathway. This study examined specific Dissemination and Implementation (D&I) science outcomes for IPC-3, assessing the intervention’s readiness for transitioning from a research setting to routine, clinical practice, utilizing a mixed-methods research design. Specifically, the D&I outcome measures of Adoption, Acceptability, Appropriateness, Feasibility, Reach, and Sustainability were explored across three groups. Participants included the Student Veteran consumers who received the intervention, the Peer Mentor providers who delivered IPC-3, and the Site Supervisors who provided clinical case supervision. Attitudes regarding each construct were evaluated at the pre- and post-intervention timepoints via surveys and key informant interviews. Results were assessed to identify potential barriers that, if removed, may bridge the research-to-practice gap for IPC-3. As the first study to assess D&I outcomes for a psychosocial support intervention developed specifically for Student Veterans, findings offer insights for treatment developers and implementors serving Student Veterans experiencing psychological distress and suggest ways that IPC-3 may be implemented in routine-care settings.

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University / The chronically ill patient in a general hospital designated for the treatment of the acutely ill presents serious problems to the medical team. With the advancements made in the medical profession, together with improved hospital facilities, more people today can benefit from hospitalization. Because of this fact, more people utilize hospital facilities today than in the past, with the results that hospitals are often overcrowded and cannot accommodate all who require treatment. Consequently, it is extremely important that the period of hospitalization be as short as possible, and consistent with the patient's condition, both for the chronically and the acutely ill if these services are to be available to all.

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University / This thesis will be an attempt to study long-standing frustrations of this nature with regard to their effect on the veteran's adjustment, and the methods and techniques employed by the social worker in seeking to alleviate or modify the emotional environment of the trial visit patient. The adjustment of the patients studied in the thesis will be evaluated from the standpoint of ability to function in the areas of family, employment, and community relationships. In the mental hygiene clinic the social worker functions within the discipline of the team approach by psychiatrist, psychologist, and social worker. The role of the psychiatric social worker will be considered within this context throughout the thesis.

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University

Please note: creative writing theses are permanently embargoed in OpenBU. No public access is forecasted for these. To request private access, please click on the lock icon and filled out the appropriate web form. / A novel excerpt and short stories collection / 2999-01-01T00:00:00Z

No description available.