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Statistical findings during and following the recent war in regard to the mental, emotional, and social problems of the veteran give evidence of the nature and scope of the problem which America faces today. The major problem undertaken in this study involves a presentation of certain information relative to this general area.

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.

The purpose of this study was to examine the beliefs and attitudes of United States Marines towards mental health services.

Telomeres is a manuscript-length lyric essay in many parts that traces the relationship of the narrator and her father as they both navigate the landscape of post-traumatic stress disorder after his return from Vietnam. / by Nicole Oquendo. / Thesis (M.F.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2012. / Includes bibliography. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / System requirements: Adobe Reader.

The present qualitative study explored the beliefs that military service members hold in regards to their physical activity participation. Additionally, service members (N=9) were asked about their perceptions of a potential physical activity based therapy program that incorporates psychological skill training. This study took a phenomenological approach and utilized a semi-structured interview guide. The interviews were initially recorded and then transcribed by the researcher. Qualitative analysis revealed nine domains throughout the interviews: 1) deployment and military influence, 2) methods of stress relief, 3) perceived barriers to physical activity, 4) physical activity participation and preferences, 5) motivation to be physically active, 6) impact of physical activity, 7) psychological skills, 8) program expectations, and 9) program preferences. These domains were used to code the interviews. Of these domains, 5 themes emerged: 1) participants indicated positive benefits resulting from physical activity participation and negative consequences resulting from inactivity, 2) serving in the military and being on deployment significantly influenced physical activity participation, 3) participants expressed interest in a potential physical activity program, 4) participants anticipated some initial resistance from service members in regards to participating in a potential physical activity program, and 5) most participants indicated a preference for a mixed model program that would allow them to choose between individual or group activities. Overall, results from this study indicate that service members positively view their physical activity participation and recognize the potentials of a physical activity program that incorporates psychological skills training. Designing physical activity programs to meet the unique needs of service members remains relatively unexplored. Important implications and evidence-based recommendations were discussed. / Access to thesis permanently restricted to Ball State community only.

Objective: Some Veterans who recently served in the military report significant psychological problems based on their experiences in the military. Stressors that these Veterans face when they transition out of the military can exacerbate these problems and negatively impact their long-term physical and psychological well-being. We are conducting a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the efficacy of providing Veterans who are transitioning back into their civilian communities trained, peer mentorship (Pro Vetus) and membership in a Veteran Support Organization (VSO- Team Red, White, and Blue) to reduce transition stressors, maintain psychological and physical health, reduce suicides and reduce criminal incidents. Method: Six hundred, New York City area Veterans who transitioned out of the military since 2002 will be randomized to one of three study arms (1. Team Red, White and Blue membership plus trained, peer Pro Vetus mentorship; 2. Team Red, White, and Blue membership; and 3. Waitlist control). Intent-to-treat analysis will compare changes in transition stressors (proximal measures) as well as psychological and physical health, suicide, and criminal incidents (distal measures). For this preliminary investigation of the full RCT, the results of 58 Veterans who completed the pre-intervention and post-intervention were analyzed. For the analysis, the first and second study arms were combined into one intervention arm because of the unbalanced nature of the arms. Results: The preliminary results indicate that Veterans in the combined intervention arm experienced less transition difficulties and had higher levels of social support at the four month post-intervention assessment. Though promising, there are still extensive limitations to the inferences that can be drawn from this research. These limitations will be reduced as data points increase and more Veterans participate in the research study. Keywords: Veterans, transition, peer mentorship, Veteran Support Organization, PTSD, suicide

Thesis (D. Min.)--Covenant Theological Seminary, 1997. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 204-210).

xi, 56 p. : ill. (some col.) / To investigate resilience against combat stress, 175 interviews from the Veterans' History Project were coded using the Deployment Risk and Resiliency Inventory and analyzed using the Linguistic Inventory and Word Count. Contrary to hypotheses, higher levels of social support did not predict psychological outcomes, nor did social support differ between wars. Low variance in the social support measure likely contributed to the null results. The amount of combat experiences the veteran discussed did significantly predict psychological outcomes, replicating previous findings. This indicates that the LIWC measures are good indicators of psychological outcome. / Committee in charge: Holly Arrow, Chairperson; Jennifer Freyd, Member; Phil Fisher, Member

For several decades, the dominant perspective on the mental health of veterans has focused primarily on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Considerable research has shown recently, however, that only a relatively small portion of veterans suffers from PTSD. The stress of transitioning from being a soldier back into civilian life appears to better account for the myriad mental health problems and broader levels of distress veterans may report or develop. Unfortunately, research on this problem has been limited almost exclusively to self-report, survey studies. In the current research, we tested for this experimentally using an online Cyberball task. The anticipated and supported finding that veterans experience greater levels of loneliness when excluded or ostracized by non-veterans suggests an imperative need for broader research frameworks and increased dedication towards educating veterans on the necessity of meaningful social connectivity post-transition.