Deployment Psychology Blog

Staff Perspective: A General’s Personal Story Raises Awareness about Bipolar Disorder

By Paula Domenici  on 09.02.2022 10:43 am

Recently, I heard a news piece about Major General Gregg Martin, Ph.D., U.S. Army (Retired) that sparked my interest because typically an individual is disqualified from entering or serving in the military if they have a history of bipolar disorder. Yet General Martin served for years with undiagnosed bipolar disorder. His doctors have speculated that his latent condition may have been triggered when he was serving as a brigade commander leading thousands of soldiers during the assault on Baghdad in 2003.

By the Numbers: 7 February 2022

By Shirl Kennedy  on 07.02.2022 11:45 am

20-30%

The percentage of veterans with PTSD who have a comorbid substance use disorder (SUD), according to a recent article in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence Reports -- Rates and predictors of psychotherapy receipt among U.S. veterans with comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder and substance use disorders. The article indicates that "up to 75% of veterans with a SUD also have PTSD"

Research Update: 3 February 2022

By Shirl Kennedy  on 03.02.2022 11:16 am
Research Update Icon

The weekly Research Update contains the latest news, journal articles, useful links from around the web. Some of this week's topics include: 
● Trends in Psychological Distress Among US Adults During Different Phases of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
● Individual symptom reduction and post-treatment severity: Varying levels of symptom amelioration in response to prolonged exposure for post-traumatic stress disorder.
● A prospective examination of health care costs associated with posttraumatic stress disorder diagnostic status and symptom severity among veterans.

Staff Perspective: Beyond Seasonal Affective Disorder - Potential Alternative Uses for Light Therapy in the Treatment of Service Members and Veterans

By Jennifer Phillips  on 02.02.2022 2:11 pm
Dr. Jenny Phillips

Although most commonly associated with the treatment of major depressive disorder with seasonal pattern (seasonal affective disorder [SAD]) and sleep disruptions, bright light therapy has been proposed as an effective treatment for other mental health conditions common in the military, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), and chronic pain. In this blog, we will review the findings of several recent studies that investigated this intervention in military-connected samples.

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