Lyddia A. Petrofsky, Corinne M. Heffernan, B. Gregg, E. Smith-Forbes
{"title":"Effects of Sleep Deprivation in Military Service Members on Cognitive Performance: A Systematic Review","authors":"Lyddia A. Petrofsky, Corinne M. Heffernan, B. Gregg, E. Smith-Forbes","doi":"10.1080/21635781.2021.1982088","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/21635781.2021.1982088","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The U.S. military has a greater risk for insufficient daily sleep than the U.S. population. No systematic review exists exploring the effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance in the U.S. military population. The purpose of this review was to examine the current evidence for the impacts of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance in the U.S. military population. A search was conducted for articles within EBSCOHost and PubMed published between 1990 and 2020. Titles and abstracts were screened. Studies performed in a U.S. military population where researchers assessed the cognitive performance of participants in a sleep deprived state were included for final review. Twelve publications (11 cohort studies, and 1 cross-sectional study) were identified. Findings across these Level 2b studies suggest that cognitive performance is negatively impacted by increased sleep deprivation. More specifically, reaction times, cognitive processing speed, decreased accuracy in response, and efficient and moral decision making were most significantly affected by decreased sleep. Sleep deprivation is a known problem in the military population and has adverse effects on cognitive performance. Future studies to further address the identified specific cognitive deficits, and effective strategies for increasing sleep duration may positively impact cognitive performance within a military population.","PeriodicalId":37012,"journal":{"name":"Military Behavioral Health","volume":"10 1","pages":"202 - 220"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44437047","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A Randomized Controlled Trial of an Online Acceptance and Commitment Therapy-Based Intervention for Chronic Pain for Military and Police","authors":"Jeremiah N. Buhler, Pamela L. Holens, D. Sharpe","doi":"10.1080/21635781.2021.1982086","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/21635781.2021.1982086","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Chronic pain is a serious health issue worldwide and is a prominent issue in military and police populations. Chronic pain sufferers often find it difficult to attend in-person treatment sessions for a variety of reasons. Utilizing the internet may allow for greater accessibility to interventions that cater to their specific needs. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluated the efficacy of an 8-week online ACT-based intervention for chronic pain within a military and police outpatient sample. A total of 29 patients with chronic pain were randomly assigned to treatment or waitlist control conditions, and completed pain-related measures pretreatment, post-treatment, and 3-month follow-up. Positive outcomes for pain acceptance, fear of movement/re-injury, and pain disability in favor of the treatment condition were found, with interaction effects ranging from moderate to large (i.e., ηp 2 = 0.11–0.32). Improvements in pain-related variables were maintained at the 3-month follow-up. Baseline PTSD and depression scores were not found to be meaningful predictors of changes in primary outcome variables from pre- to post-treatment. We conclude that an online ACT-based intervention can be effective for military and police suffering from chronic pain, though limitations to the study suggest further research is warranted.","PeriodicalId":37012,"journal":{"name":"Military Behavioral Health","volume":"9 1","pages":"463 - 474"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42288453","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Risk-Taking and Suicidal Behaviors among Army National Guard Soldiers","authors":"James Griffith","doi":"10.1080/21635781.2021.1977204","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/21635781.2021.1977204","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract A major concern of military leaders, health scientists, and policymakers has been increased suicides among U.S. military personnel. Few studies have examined how risk-taking conveys suicide risk. The present study examined survey data (12,612 soldiers in 180 company-sized units) obtained from an under-studied military population, the Army National Guard (ARNG). One-fifth to one-third of the soldiers reported risk-taking behaviors, such as alcohol misuses, unauthorized work absences, criminal behaviors, and unsafe sex practices. Risk-taking behaviors were simultaneously related to suicidal thoughts, plans, and attempts, namely: unauthorized work absences (Odds-Ratio = 6.38, 95% CI 4.06-10.02), alcohol misuses (6.12, 4.56-8.20), such as driving under the influence (DUI), committing illegal acts while drinking, etc., and criminal behaviors (3.00, 2.05-4.39) to suicide thoughts; unauthorized work absences (7.63, 4.28-13.59), alcohol misuses (4.36, 2.73-6.96), and criminal behaviors (4.30, 2.60-7.11) to suicide plans; and unauthorized work absences (41.40, 19.40-88.38) and criminal behaviors (6.10, 2.95-12.60), and unsafe sex practices (2.37, 1.29-4.35) to suicide attempts. Risk-taking behaviors that showed stronger associations with suicide risk are interpreted as likely reducing inhibitions against violence and self-harm, namely, criminal behaviors and unauthorized work absences with alcohol misuses. Several practical implications of risk-taking findings are offered for suicide prevention.","PeriodicalId":37012,"journal":{"name":"Military Behavioral Health","volume":"10 1","pages":"172 - 182"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46018245","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Paulo Jorge Fragoso, M. Chambel, Filipa Castanheira
{"title":"Commitment Profiles: An Analysis of the Portuguese Navy Officers","authors":"Paulo Jorge Fragoso, M. Chambel, Filipa Castanheira","doi":"10.1080/21635781.2021.1982087","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/21635781.2021.1982087","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract An individual can simultaneously develop the three dimensions of the commitment (affective - AC; continuance – CC; normative – NC), and these can combine and interact by defining their organizational commitment profile. Based on this premise, this study aimed to identify profiles of organizational commitment in the Portuguese Navy Officers. Besides, we analyzed the distribution of professional health officers and nonprofessional health officers in these different profiles. Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) was used to extract and group the profiles from the military sample, composed of 371 officers, namely 186 non-health military officers (other specialities) and 185 health military officers (physicians and nurses). The results of the analysis revealed a solution of four organizational commitment profiles: “All low”; “NC/CC-dominant”; “All high-mid”; “AC-dominant.” On the other hand, the χ2 test showed that the distribution of health military officers and non-health military officers is significantly different in these profiles: the large majority (74.59%) of health military officers are distributed in the profiles “All high-mid” and “AC-dominant,” whereas almost all (98.39%) non-health military officers are distributed in the profiles “All Low” and “NC/CC-dominant.” These results highlight the importance of commitment profiles to predict the quality of employees’ attitudes and behaviors.","PeriodicalId":37012,"journal":{"name":"Military Behavioral Health","volume":"10 1","pages":"191 - 201"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48868588","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ryan P. Chesnut, Terri L. Rudy, Janet A. Welsh, D. Perkins
{"title":"Delivering Take Root to Military Families with a Child 0-to 3-Years-Old: Examining Feasibility and Proof-of-Concept","authors":"Ryan P. Chesnut, Terri L. Rudy, Janet A. Welsh, D. Perkins","doi":"10.1080/21635781.2021.1977203","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/21635781.2021.1977203","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Parents influence their child’s positive development, and this is especially true during early childhood. In military families, the largest percentage of children are between 0 and 5 years old, and there is growing interest in developing and disseminating parent-focused interventions that target this age range for military parents. The present study examines the feasibility and proof-of-concept of the universal, web-based, Take Root parenting program, which was designed to empower military and civilian parents with a 0- to 3-year-old child in their parenting role and support positive child development. Seventy-nine participants were recruited from two Armed Services YMCA locations in fall 2019 and summer 2020. Results indicate that executing the research protocol and implementing the program among military families with young children were feasible. Further, significant pre- to post-changes in self-reports of parenting efficacy, mindful relaxation, and family functioning were found; however, when a Bonferroni-Holm correction was applied to account for multiple testing, only parenting efficacy remained significant. Collectively, the favorable results indicate the potential usefulness of Take Root for military families with young children and support the need for further, more rigorous evaluations of the program.","PeriodicalId":37012,"journal":{"name":"Military Behavioral Health","volume":"10 1","pages":"156 - 171"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44006563","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A. A. Mandel, Barbara Stanley, Kaitlin Dent, S. Jager-Hyman, Marjan Ghahramanlou-Holloway, Gregory K Brown
{"title":"Expert Opinion on Managing Suicide Risk in Deployed Settings","authors":"A. A. Mandel, Barbara Stanley, Kaitlin Dent, S. Jager-Hyman, Marjan Ghahramanlou-Holloway, Gregory K Brown","doi":"10.1080/21635781.2021.1973624","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/21635781.2021.1973624","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This study aimed to: (1) determine the perceived effectiveness of buddy watch, weapon removal, and medical evacuations (MEDEVAC) for managing suicide-related events during deployment, (2) evaluate the involvement of leaders, behavioral health providers (BHPs), and chaplains in implementing these strategies, and (3) develop recommendations based on feedback from key stakeholders. A total of 74 Army support staff (80% male, 61% aged 30–44) who had encountered another service member that died by suicide, attempted suicide, or thought about suicide during deployment participated in an anonymous, online survey. Fisher’s exact test was used to compare responses between leaders, BHPs, and chaplains. Overall, survey participants supported the use of buddy watch (79%) and MEDEVAC (94%) as effective strategies for managing suicide risk during deployment, while support for weapon removal was mixed (leaders: 50%, BHPs: 92%, chaplains: 88%; Fisher exact test = 10.43, p = .01). Leaders and BHPs were endorsed as important personnel involved in making decisions regarding the use of buddy watch (78%, 77%, respectively), weapon removal (84%, 69%, respectively), and MEDEVAC (73%, 84%, respectively). It is recommended that buddy watch, weapon removal, and MEDEVAC be used in a deployed setting when determined by each service member’s unique set of risk factors.","PeriodicalId":37012,"journal":{"name":"Military Behavioral Health","volume":"10 1","pages":"145 - 155"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43719275","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
V. Stander, Kelly A. Woodall, Sabrina M. Richardson, C. Thomsen, J. Milner, J. McCarroll, D. Riggs, S. Cozza
{"title":"The Role of Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms and Negative Affect in Predicting Substantiated Intimate Partner Violence Incidents Among Military Personnel","authors":"V. Stander, Kelly A. Woodall, Sabrina M. Richardson, C. Thomsen, J. Milner, J. McCarroll, D. Riggs, S. Cozza","doi":"10.1080/21635781.2021.1953644","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/21635781.2021.1953644","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Increasing rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in military populations during recent conflicts have sparked concerns regarding the incidence of other commonly associated problems, such as intimate partner violence (IPV). From a clinical perspective, it is important to understand patterns of PTSD symptomology that may indicate heightened risk for such aggression. To address this, among a longitudinal cohort of U.S. military personnel, we evaluated the association of PTSD symptom clusters and comorbid conditions as predictors of any subsequent Department of Defense Family Advocacy Program incidents of IPV meeting full definitional criteria for physical or psychological abuse. Results suggested that general symptoms of negative affect common in PTSD (e.g., anger/irritability, sleep disruption) and comorbid alcohol dependence were stronger predictors of IPV than trauma-specific PTSD symptomology (e.g., reexperiencing, hypervigilance). Clinical implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.","PeriodicalId":37012,"journal":{"name":"Military Behavioral Health","volume":"9 1","pages":"442 - 462"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-08-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43608937","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Larissa L. Tate, Maegan M. Paxton Willing, L. French, W. Law, Katherine W. Sullivan, D. Riggs
{"title":"Emotional Distress, Neurobehavioral Symptoms, and Social Functioning among Treatment Seeking Service Members with TBI and PTSD Symptoms","authors":"Larissa L. Tate, Maegan M. Paxton Willing, L. French, W. Law, Katherine W. Sullivan, D. Riggs","doi":"10.1080/21635781.2021.1935365","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/21635781.2021.1935365","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This study examined the combined effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI) history and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms on social functioning in treatment-seeking active duty service members. We sought to determine whether objective cognitive performance, self-reported neurobehavioral symptoms, and emotional distress would be associated with more social functioning difficulties. Additionally, we hypothesized self-reported neurobehavioral symptoms would mediate both the relationships between emotional distress and social functioning, and between cognitive performance and social functioning. The study was part of a larger clinical project conducted at two military hospitals. We analyzed smaller datasets of baseline data from two groups: service members with history of TBI and/or PTSD (n = 71) and those with responses considered “valid” (n = 39). A significant predictive relationship among cognitive performance, neurobehavioral symptoms, and emotional distress on social functioning was found in the full sample. Further, neurobehavioral symptoms completely mediated the relationship between emotional distress and social functioning, but not between cognitive performance and social functioning. In the subsample, the overall regression was significant, but individual independent predictors were not. Findings suggest emotional distress and self-reported neurobehavioral symptoms are key considerations in treatment as a means of improving functioning in social domains and prioritizing treatment goals.","PeriodicalId":37012,"journal":{"name":"Military Behavioral Health","volume":"9 1","pages":"425 - 434"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/21635781.2021.1935365","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44726275","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Impact of Civic Service on Disability Identity Outcomes in United States Veterans Who Served in Iraq and Afghanistan","authors":"Molly Meissen, M. Matthieu","doi":"10.1080/21635781.2021.1939816","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/21635781.2021.1939816","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract For many veterans, reintegrating into civilian life is complicated by an acquired or exacerbated physical disability. Veteran-directed services that are inclusive of and impactful for disabled veterans are limited. Pre-and post-data on 6 psychosocial outcomes resulting from a 26-week stipend-supported civic service and leadership program for post-9/11 era Veterans (N = 346) were analyzed. Veterans with physical disabilities (n = 181) reported significant increases in all measured outcomes. Women had significantly greater increases in purpose in life (b = 3.60, p < 0.05) and decreases in depressive symptoms (b = –.53, p < 0.04) than men. Civic service has a positive impact on post-9/11 veterans with physical disabilities reintegrating into civilian life.","PeriodicalId":37012,"journal":{"name":"Military Behavioral Health","volume":"9 1","pages":"435 - 441"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/21635781.2021.1939816","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42214790","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A. Meca, Kelsie K. Allison, K. Ayers, K. Carr, Sean Cox, Adrian J. Bravo, Rachel L. Davies, M. Kelley
{"title":"Understanding the Unique Effects of Identity in Adjustment Among Veterans","authors":"A. Meca, Kelsie K. Allison, K. Ayers, K. Carr, Sean Cox, Adrian J. Bravo, Rachel L. Davies, M. Kelley","doi":"10.1080/21635781.2021.1927918","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/21635781.2021.1927918","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Reintegration to civilian life among service members can be understood through the lens of a transformation in an individual’s identity structure. However, limited research has examined the unique impact of military, U.S., and personal identity on mental health and substance use among veterans. The goal of the present study was to examine the relationship between personal, military and U.S. identity dimensions (i.e., commitment, affirmation, and centrality) on substance use and mental health symptoms (i.e., posttraumatic stress, suicidal ideation, anxiety, and depression) in a sample of U.S. military veterans. Within our sample of military veterans (n = 195), a plurality were female (53.3%), White (73.3%), and veterans of the Navy (45.1%) who reported a mean age of 35.12 years (SD = 9.60). Results indicated personal identity commitment, and U.S. affirmation were associated with lower levels of substance use and symptoms of PTSD, suicidal ideation, anxiety, and depression. Military identity centrality was associated with higher levels of PTSD symptoms. Taken together, our findings provide preliminary cross-sectional support for the role that personal, military and U.S. identity play in mental health. Future longitudinal research is necessary to establish the directional relationship between identity (across various domains) and mental health and substance abuse across the transition to civilian life.","PeriodicalId":37012,"journal":{"name":"Military Behavioral Health","volume":"9 1","pages":"1 - 424"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/21635781.2021.1927918","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42821152","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}