Prevalence of gambling problems, help-seeking, and relationships with trauma in veterans.

Background And Aims: Veterans who have recently left the military (i.e., transitioned) may be vulnerable to the development of psychiatric disorders, but little is known about gambling problems in this population.

Effect of massed v. standard prolonged exposure therapy on PTSD in military personnel and veterans: a non-inferiority randomised controlled trial.

Background: A short, effective therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) could decrease barriers to implementation and uptake, reduce dropout, and ameliorate distressing symptoms in military personnel and veterans. This non-inferiority RCT evaluated the efficacy of 2-week massed prolonged exposure (MPE) therapy compared to standard 10-week prolonged exposure (SPE), the current gold standard treatment, in reducing PTSD severity in both active serving and veterans in a real-world health service system.

Methods: This single-blinded multi-site non-inferiority RCT took place in 12 health clinics across Australia.

Attention-control training as an early intervention for veterans leaving the military: A pilot randomized controlled trial.

Transitioning out of the military can be a time of change and challenge. Research indicates that altered threat monitoring in military populations may contribute to the development of psychopathology in veterans, and interventions that adjust threat monitoring in personnel leaving the military may be beneficial. Australian Defence Force personnel (N = 59) transitioning from the military were randomized to receive four weekly sessions of either attention-control training or a placebo attention training.

Massed versus standard prolonged exposure for posttraumatic stress disorder in Australian military and veteran populations (RESTORE trial): Study protocol for a non-inferiority randomized controlled trial.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be a severe problem, affecting veterans and military personnel at higher rates than the general community. First-line treatment for PTSD, prolonged exposure (PE), is typically delivered weekly for 10-12 weeks, however this duration can pose a barrier to accessing and completing the treatment, particularly for current serving military. This paper presents the RESTORE trial protocol, the first randomized controlled trial of massed PE therapy outside of the United States and by an independent research group.

Psychosocial factors associated with psychological distress and functional difficulties in recently transitioned and current serving regular Australian Defence Force members.

The transition period from military-to-civilian life can be one of the most significant and stressful periods in the military life cycle. We explore the psychosocial factors associated with psychological distress and functional impairment among those who recently transitioned from the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and those currently serving in 2015. Using data from the Transition and Wellbeing Research Programme, multinomial logistic regression models were used to analyze the associations between a combined measure of psychological distress and functional impairment (K10/SDS) with various psychosocial, lifestyle, and physical health factors.

Technology-Enabled Mental Health Service Reform for Open Arms - Veterans and Families Counselling: Participatory Design Study.

Background: The impact of mental ill-health on every aspect of the lives of a large number of Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel, their partners, and their families is widely recognized. Recent Senate inquiries have highlighted gaps in service delivery as well as the need for service reform to ensure appropriate care options for individuals who are currently engaged with mental health and support services as well as for those who, for a variety of reasons, have not sought help. To that end, successive Australian governments generally and the Department of Veterans' Affairs specifically have prioritized veteran-centric reform.

Mental Health Care for Service Members and Their Families Across the Globe.

The U.S. Defense Department partnered with the International Initiative for Mental Health Leadership on effective leadership and operational practices for delivery of mental health (MH) as well as addiction services throughout the world for Service Members (SM) and beneficiaries.

Screening for Depression and Psychological Distress in a Currently Serving Military Population: The Diagnostic Accuracy of the K10 and the PHQ9.

This study is the first to examine the diagnostic accuracy of two depression screening scales-the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-in an entire regular-serving military population. Currently serving Australian Defence Force personnel ( = 24,481) completed the K10 and PHQ9. Then a targeted subsample (i.

Australian veterans - Identification of mental health issues.

Background: To ensure the early identification and effective treatment of mental health disorders in the veteran population, general practitioners (GPs) need to be aware that the traditional profile of an Australian veteran has changed, and that more than combat service can give rise to mental health issues.

Objective: This article uses findings that have emerged from research undertaken with participants from three veteran cohorts to highlight mental health issues that should be considered in general practice.

Discussion: GPs have a key role to play in the diagnosis and treatment of mental health issues among the veteran population for several reasons.

Effective and ineffective coping strategies in a low-autonomy work environment.

The authors examined the effectiveness of different coping strategies in buffering the negative effects of uncontrollable stressors and predicting mental health symptoms in a low-autonomy work environment using a longitudinal design. Soldiers in training indicated the extent to which they engaged in various coping strategies to deal with stressors related to the training environment at 4 different points in time. Factor analyses of soldiers in 2 different countries (i.

Rapid evidence assessment: increasing the transparency of an emerging methodology.

Rationale, Aims And Objectives: Within the field of evidence-based practice, policy makers, health care professionals and consumers require timely reviews to inform decisions on efficacious health care and treatments. Rapid evidence assessment (REA), also known as rapid review, has emerged in recent years as a literature review methodology that fulfils this need. It highlights what is known in a clinical area to the target audience in a relatively short time frame.

The Well-Being of Australian Service Mothers.

In recent years servicewomen with dependent children have for the first time in history been deployed into conflict zones in support of Australian Defence Force operations. This represents a significant social change, and the implications of deployment on the health of these service mothers are not fully understood. Data from women who participated in the Middle East Area of Operations Census study were analyzed to compare the psychological and physical symptoms reported by service mothers with service women who had no dependent children at the time of deploying to Afghanistan and/or Iraq.

The validity of military screening for mental health problems: diagnostic accuracy of the PCL, K10 and AUDIT scales in an entire military population.

Depression, alcohol use disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are serious issues among military personnel due to their impact on operational capability and individual well-being. Several military forces screen for these disorders using scales including the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10), Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL). However, it is unknown whether established cutoffs apply to military populations.

The Australian Defence Force Mental Health Prevalence and Wellbeing Study: design and methods.

Background: The Australian Defence Force (ADF) Mental Health Prevalence and Wellbeing Study (MHPWS) is the first study of mental disorder prevalence in an entire military population.

Objective: The MHPWS aims to establish mental disorder prevalence, refine current ADF mental health screening methods, and identify specific occupational factors that influence mental health. This paper describes the design, sampling strategies, and methodology used in this study.