Deployment Psychology Blog

Staff Perspective: Lean Into Your Moral Pain

By Andrew Santanello  on 26.08.2020 12:18 pm
Andrew Santanello, Psy.D.

Several years ago, I was co-facilitating a group Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) session with several BIPOC (Black, Indiginous, People of Color), Vietnam Veterans. During agenda setting, one of the Veterans in the group wanted to discuss a Challenging Beliefs Worksheet (CBW) that he had completed during the past week. I acknowledged his request, and, since he didn’t often speak about his practice assignments, I asked the group if we could start with his agenda item. The rest of the group agreed.

By the Numbers: 24 August 2020

By Shirl Kennedy  on 24.08.2020 2:44 pm

1 in 5

The number of U.S. military Veterans who "have experienced childhood physical or sexual abuse," according to a recent study published online before print in the Journal of Affective Disorders -- Associations of childhood abuse and combat exposure with suicidal ideation and suicide attempt in U.S. military veterans: a nationally representative study. 

Research Update: 20 August 2020

By Shirl Kennedy  on 20.08.2020 11:26 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: 
● Modern Warfare Destroys Brains.
● Changes in Physical Activity and Sleep Among Veterans Using a Service Dog as a Rehabilitation Modality for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder: An Open-Label Single-Arm Exploratory Trial Using Actigraphy-Based Measures.
● Predictors of Dropout in Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD: An Examination of Trauma Narrative Content.

Staff Perspective: Veiling and Using Headscarves in the United States Military

By Augusto Ruiz  on 19.08.2020 4:05 pm
Augusto Ruiz, Psy.D.

A patient walks into your office and states that he is having a panic attack because he just saw a women in the pharmacy line wearing a Hijab. Just seeing the veil produced flashbacks and a quickened pulse. Upon further questioning, he reveals that he is avoiding certain Middle Eastern restaurants, and missed an elevator ride because he saw a Muslim women waiting in line. He even states that he thought he saw a soldier wearing a Hijab, but then states "I think I must be losing my mind." As a provider working with service members, how culturally informed are you on veiling policies to better assist this patient?

Pages