When insurance is not a barrier: psychological factors predicting whether bariatric candidates undergo surgery.

Background: Despite the effectiveness of bariatric surgery, utilization rates have increased only marginally over the last 2 decades; candidates who are eligible for bariatric surgery regularly fail to undergo surgery. The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) has previously been used to assist in identification of those who will not move forward with surgery after being identified as eligible. However, medical insurance has been identified as a significant barrier to surgery; research in those who have universal healthcare may yield different results.

Combat and operational stress programs and interventions: A scoping review using a tiered prevention framework.

Beginning in 1999, Department of Defense policy directed the military services to develop Combat and Operational Stress Control (COSC) programs to address prevention, early identification, and management of the negative effects of combat and operational stress. The aim of this study is to provide a narrative review of COSC programs and organize them into a prevention framework to clarify gaps and future directions. A systematic search was conducted to identify studies between 2001 and 2020 in peer-reviewed articles or government-sponsored reports describing an evaluation of COSC programs.

Outcome metrics utilized in evaluations of programs and interventions for combat and operational stress: A review of psychometric properties.

The Department of Defense has mandated combat and operational stress control (COSC) efforts for the Services since 1999. Although several COSC-related programs have been implemented, few have undergone evaluation, and no standardized metrics have been established to assess their effectiveness and utility. The purpose of this review was to characterize the content and psychometrics of measures that have been utilized as outcome metrics in evaluations of COSC-related programs and interventions.

A pilot study of trauma-sensitive yoga and Breathe2Relax among service members in an intensive outpatient program.

Emerging research indicates that yoga is a promising adjunct to psychological trauma treatment. The current pilot study examined the associations between psychophysiological stress, diaphragmatic breathing (DB), and a trauma-sensitive yoga (TSY) regimen developed specifically for trauma-exposed service members in alignment with recent calls for precision in reporting therapeutic yoga protocols. Participants were 31 service members enrolled in a trauma-focused intensive outpatient program (IOP).

The role of obesity severity in Minnesota multiphasic personality inventory-2-restructured form prediction of 12-month bariatric surgery outcomes.

Background: The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) has been widely used in bariatric surgery samples. However, questions remain regarding its utility when predicting changes in body mass index over time following bariatric surgery.

Objectives: Examine whether MMPI-2-RF scales differentially predict 12-month changes in body mass index (BMI) following bariatric surgery when comparing patients with Class III or higher versus Class II or lower obesity.

Psychological Profiles and 12-Month Weight Outcomes of Women Evaluated for Reoperative Bariatric Surgery.

Background: The use of psychological screening instruments prior to bariatric surgery has been well established. However, there is currently no specific literature on psychological screening of candidates for reoperative bariatric surgery.

Methods: This study evaluated archival data for 40 women who were candidates for reoperative bariatric surgery and completed the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF).

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia Among Active Duty Military Personnel Diagnosed With Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Introduction: Insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea are common conditions among military service members, with high rates of comorbidity. Although cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) has been established as an effective treatment for insomnia, it is unclear whether or not CBT-I is effective among service members with comorbid insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective, observational study examined insomnia outcomes among a group of service member patients (N = 73) with comorbid insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea.

Millon Behavioral Medicine Diagnostic Scales Do Not Predict Long-term Weight Loss Outcomes in Bariatric Surgery Patients.

Background: Psychological factors identified during presurgical screening have the potential to identify which patients may respond better to bariatric surgery, and which patients may need additional assistance. Previous research has validated a number of potential instruments for use in presurgical screening.

Method: This study evaluated archival data for 224 patients for a 60-month period following bariatric surgery to examine how presurgical scores on the Millon Behavioral Medicine Diagnostic predict body mass index (BMI) over time.

Military chaplains and mental health clinicians: Overlapping roles and collaborative opportunities.

Military chaplains and mental health clinicians have unique professional roles and functions within the Department of Defense. However, they also have intersecting roles in delivering care to service members with mental health issues. Although diagnosis and treatment of clinical disorders is the primary focus of mental health clinicians, military chaplains are often the first contact made by service members seeking help for mental health concerns, due in part to issues of greater accessibility, ensured confidentiality, and less stigma.

The relationship of presurgical Personality Assessment Inventory scales to BMI following bariatric surgery.

Objective: Notwithstanding the efficacy of bariatric surgery in reducing the negative sequelae of obesity, psychological factors may play a significant role in long-term weight maintenance following surgery. Previous research on these factors has shown mixed outcomes, indicating the need for further study in samples undergoing bariatric surgery.

Method: This study evaluated archival data for 194 patients from a single-payer system for a 60-month period following bariatric surgery to examine how presurgical scores on the Personality Assessment Inventory predict body mass index (BMI) over time.

Mental Health Stigma in Department of Defense Policies: Analysis, Recommendations, and Outcomes.

Introduction: Mental health stigma is one of the most frequently reported barriers to mental health help-seeking in the military. Previous research has identified that stigma-increasing language in the United States military policies was a potential deterrent to treatment-seeking. In response to a 2016 Government Accountability Office report recommendation, the current study conducted a comprehensive review of Department of Defense and military service-specific policies to identify stigmatizing language provisions and recommend appropriate language changes.

Preoperative Psychological Assessment and Weight Loss Outcomes in Bariatric Surgery Patients at a Military Treatment Facility: A Retrospective Profile Analysis.

Introduction: Research on effectiveness of preoperative psychological measures as predictors of weight loss success and weight regain following bariatric surgery has been inconsistent. Despite mixed findings, preoperative psychological assessment instruments are used routinely, including in military medical facilities. Health concerns associated with obesity potentially impact military family readiness, with accompanying utilization of medical resources.

Disability Status Attenuates Treatment Effects in an Intensive Outpatient Program for PTSD.

Introduction: The utilization of intensive outpatient programs for the treatment of military-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has increased through initiatives both inside and outside the military health care system. However, research in veteran populations suggest that patients concurrently undergoing disability evaluation may not respond well to such interventions. This study evaluates the relationship between disability separation and endorsement of PTSD symptoms during treatment at an intensive outpatient program.

The parable of the wolf.

The article presents a parable relating to soldier's combat experiences in Afghanistan. The parable itself derives from the children's story The Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Sexual Attitudes, Perceptions of Attractiveness, and Level of Coercion Affect Undergraduate Men's Judgments of Women's Responses to Sexual and Nonsexual Social Situations.

The aims of this study were to (a) evaluate undergraduate men's ( = 108) judgments of the effectiveness of women's responses to increasingly coercive sexual victimization risk and nonsexual social situations and (b) examine whether individual difference factors (e.g., perceptions of attractiveness, rape empathy) influenced these judgments.

A case analysis of service-member trauma processing related to art therapy within a military-intensive outpatient program.

Objectives: Art therapy has been widely used in clinical settings and has shown preliminary success in military trauma. This case study describes a mask-making art therapy directive facilitated by a board-certified art therapist as an adjunct to group posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment in a military-intensive outpatient program.

Methods: Described are clinical outcome measures, linguistic analysis of a personal journal, evaluation of this service-member's artwork, and experiences in the program.

Veterans Engaged in Treatment, Skills, and Transitions for Enhancing Psychiatric Safety (VETSTEPS).

Objective: The transition after inpatient psychiatric care is a critical time with increased risk. This brief report evaluates Veterans Engaged in Treatment, Skills, and Transitions for Enhancing Psychiatric Safety (VETSTEPS), a program designed for this critical time.

Method: Three "bridging" strategies were employed: (a) using inpatient-outpatient care collaboration; (b) four phone calls within seven days of discharge; and (c) a 4-week, evidence-based intervention that provided safety planning, coping skills, and triage services for postdischarge needs.