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A recently published study looked at benzodiazepine prescriptions for homeless veterans affairs service users with mental illness. “People experiencing homelessness are at high risk for substance use disorders, overdose, and death,” study author Dr. Katherine A. Koh told us. “Benzodiazepines are medications that are known to increase risk of overdose particularly when combined with other sedating medications. [More]

People with PTSD or are at high risk of PTSD have specific patterns in four types of biomarkers that can be measured through a blood test. The research suggests the biomarkers could be used as a tool to predict whether a person is likely to develop PTSD, as well as help diagnose the condition and monitor how effectively someone is responding to treatment. [More]

A new study published in Health Services Research looked at the effect of mental health staffing on suicide-related events. “We wanted to answer a seemingly simple question: does increasing mental health staffing at Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facilities reduce suicide-related events?” study author Yevgeniy Feyman told us. “While this seems straightforward on its face, the existing evidence is mixed. Some work has found that staffing reduces suicide related events, while others have found no effect.” [More]

A new study published in the Journal of Frontiers in Psychology looked at the way in which student veterans view positive changes in emotional resilience post intervention. “In this study, we put to test a new intervention that aims to promote affective resilience in student veterans by helping them develop emotion regulation skills that work for them,” Yifan Hu, a graduate student who conducted the study told us. [More]

What might peace of mind be like? Veterans like Dennis Parker who have had to fight for PTSD treatment (Bjornstad, 2015) have waited many long years for an opportunity to find out. What would it be like for them to experience relief from trauma symptoms after 3-5 treatment sessions? It sounds too good to be true, yet that is what most clients receiving Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) are experiencing. So, what is Accelerated Resolution Therapy? [More]

As if inscribed today, the crisp etching “James Cockburn 8th Durham, L.I.” followed by the inscribed date “April 1, 1917” was discovered on the walls of the cave like tunnels in Naours, France. The date provided clues to the World War I time period in which thousands of soldiers left such markings in the stone walls. Archaeologist, Gilles Prilaux, made the surprising discovery while studying the Naours tunnels as a lens into the middle ages. The Naours tunnels are far from the front lines of the WWI battlefields, yet 1,821 soldiers from the U.S., Australia, Britain, and Canada made their way into the underground tunnels for reasons that are now being further explored by historians. [More]

Especially among combat veterans, the prevalence of depression, PTSD, and suicide rate is even more staggering. According to 2012 VA Suicide Data Report, rates of veteran suicide are much higher than previously thought – approximately 22 veterans commit suicide every day. It is further estimated that male veterans ages 18 to 24 are particularly susceptible as evidenced by their suicide rate still increasing. [More]

The United States is currently involved in a number of combat situations in the Middle East, particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan. There is increasing awareness among researchers and mental health professionals that there are a number of health and mental health problems that returning veterans are experiencing in their return from combat. Many returning veterans are presenting to medical professionals with emotional distress that is primarily being attributed to their experiences in these violent situations. Researchers are beginning to analyze what this means for this demographic, and how to best assist them in navigating the difficulties that they are experiencing. [More]