The associations of opioid and benzodiazepine prescriptions with injuries among US military service members.

Given the high rates of physical trauma and pain among service members, opioid-prescribing practices and use patterns have significant implications for the well-being of service members and can affect military medicine and personnel readiness. This study measured the association between prescribed opioid and benzodiazepine medications and subsequently reported injuries (accidental, alcohol and drug related, self-inflicted, and violence related) among active duty military members. Participants were service members who entered the military between January 1, 2005, and June 30, 2010.

The Management of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Acute Stress Disorder: Synopsis of the 2023 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and U.S. Department of Defense Clinical Practice Guideline.

Description: The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Defense (DoD) worked together to revise the 2017 VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Acute Stress Disorder.

Evidence-based telehealth interventions for posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: The goal of this systematic review was to examine the efficacy of behavioral health care treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety delivered via telehealth.

Methods: We searched a combination of keywords related to telehealth, relevant mental health disorders, and evidence-based psychotherapies in three databases (PubMed, PsycInfo, and Embase) from database inception to April 2022. We included randomized controlled trials published in English wherein at least one arm received an evidence-based psychotherapy via telehealth.

Diagnostic and functional outcomes of adjustment disorder in U.S. active duty service members.

Background: Adjustment disorder (AD) is a commonly diagnosed psychiatric disorder. However, little is known about its course, predictors of its diagnostic outcomes, or its association with functional impairment. Our primary aim was to examine diagnostic transitions of service members with an incident AD diagnosis (IADx) to one of three states: 1) another psychiatric diagnosis, 2) chronic AD, or 3) no psychiatric diagnosis.

Outcomes and prognosis of adjustment disorder in adults: A systematic review.

Adjustment disorder (AD) is one of the most commonly diagnosed mental health disorders and is generally conceptualized to be mild and short-lived. Despite the frequent use of AD in clinical settings, little is known about the prognosis of this condition. Our goal was to systematically review research on a range of AD outcomes in order to provide a broad characterization of AD prognosis.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of predictors of adjustment disorders in adults.

Background: The diagnosis of adjustment disorder is common in clinical practice, yet there is lack of research on the etiology and epidemiology of adjustment disorders. The goal of this systematic review was to evaluate predictors of adjustment disorders in adults.

Methods: We conducted systematic searches in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PsycINFO.

Rapid Review on the Effectiveness of Telehealth Interventions for the Treatment of Behavioral Health Disorders.

Introduction: The Psychological Health Center of Excellence conducted a rapid review of the literature to investigate the effectiveness of behavioral health treatments (i.e., evidence-based psychotherapy and psychiatry) delivered in person compared to telehealth (TH; i.

Advances in repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for posttraumatic stress disorder: A systematic review.

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) as a treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has gained interest over the past two decades. However, it has yet to be recommended in major treatment guidelines. We conducted a systematic review of randomized controlled trials to examine the efficacy of rTMS for PTSD.

Adjustment disorders: A research gaps analysis.

Adjustment disorders are among the most commonly diagnosed mental health disorders in both civilian and military clinical settings. Despite their high prevalence, adjustment disorders have received little research attention. The many gaps in our understanding of this group of disorders hinder the development of adequate, evidence-based treatment protocols.

Women in combat: The effects of combat exposure and gender on the incidence and persistence of posttraumatic stress disorder diagnosis.

Recent expansions in the roles of women in combat have prompted increased interest in the psychological toll combat exposure may have on female service members as compared to males. This study examined the interactive effects of gender and combat exposure on transitions in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnostic status (presence or absence of PTSD diagnosis). We used administrative data of 20,000 U.

Typologies of Combat Exposure and Their Effects on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Depression Symptoms.

The present study identified distinct classes of U.S. military service members based on their combat experiences and examined mental health outcomes and longitudinal growth curves of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression symptoms associated with each class.

Establishing an Evidence Synthesis Capability For Psychological Health Topics in the Military Health System.

Background: To promote evidence-based health care, clinical providers and decision makers rely on scientific evidence to inform best practices. Evidence synthesis (ES) is a key component of this process that serves to inform health care decisions by integrating and contextualizing research findings across studies.

Objective: This paper describes the process of establishing an ES capability in the Military Health System dedicated to psychological health topics.

Discrepancies in diagnostic records of military service members with self-reported PTSD: Healthcare use and longitudinal symptom outcomes.

Objective: The study compared healthcare utilization and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom trajectories of active duty service members (ADSM) with self-reported PTSD based on whether they had a PTSD diagnosis in the electronic health record (EHR).

Methods: ADSM meeting study criteria for self-reported PTSD (N = 470) were grouped according to EHR-PTSD diagnostic status. Participants completed PTSD symptom assessments over a 12 month period.

Identifying research gaps in substance use disorder: A systematic methodology and prioritized list.

: This paper presents a new methodology for identifying and prioritizing research gaps, contributing to the nascent literature on systematic ways to identify research gaps. : The goal of this paper is to report on a gaps analysis of substance use disorder (SUD) research. Based on input from Military Health System stakeholders, we selected the following subtopics as priorities: alcohol use disorder (AUD) and comorbid conditions, prescription opioids, and novel synthetic drugs (NSDs), including synthetic cannabinoids, synthetic cathinones, novel synthetic opioids, and e-cigarette use.

The Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths as an Outcome Measure in Community Mental Health: Factor Analysis and a Validation of the Short Form.

The goal of the study was to create a short-form measure based on the child and adolescent needs and strengths assessment tool. The measure was designed to be short and easy to use, relevant to youth treated in community-based mental health settings, useful for both treatment planning and program evaluation, and psychometrically valid. Factor analyses of the chosen items revealed two mental health factors and four functioning factors.