Those are the odds of dying in combat in a given year, according to a RAND Corporation briefing, Compensation for Combat Deaths: Policy Considerations. As might be expected, the odds are highest for ground combat personnel -- infantry, armor and artillery. The researchers calculated the annual combat fatality rate per 100,000 by occupation for Army personnel who enlisted between fiscal year (FY) 2000 and FY 2005.
The last blog entry on in vivo exposure discussed some strategies to help your client be better prepared to benefit from in vivo exposure. This week I want to talk about “post-in vivo processing”. We don’t usually emphasize processing when we discuss in vivo exposure but it is just as important for in vivo exercises as it is for imaginal exposure. Post-in vivo processing is not merely a check the box activity to make sure the homework was done but instead is an opportunity for a client to reflect on the homework assignment, and extract some understanding or insight from the experience of facing fear and living to tell about it. For some, this may simply mean concluding, “It was easier than I expected it to be!” But for others, it may mean evaluating and dismantling some strongly held beliefs that have kept them “safe” from harm for a long time. Give example?
The percentage of post-9/11 veterans who feel their transition to civilian life has been difficult, according to a Pew Research Center study -- War and Sacrifice in the Post-9/11 Era: The Military-Civilian Gap (October 2011). According to the report, just 25% of the veterans who served in earlier eras feel the same way.
It's time to wrap the week up with the latest news and announcements from the Center for Deployment Psychology. We were busy this week running the first half of the "Topics in Deployment Psychology" course. That's five days down and three more to go! We'd like to thank all of our presenters as well as the participants for helping to make this a successful iteration. After next week, it will be time to start working on the September session!
The CDP's weekly research update contains the latest news, journal articles and useful links from around the web. Some of this week's topics include:
• Deaths While on Active Duty in the U.S. Armed Forces, 1990-2011
• Development and Testing of Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Active Duty Service Members Who Served in Iraq and Afghanistan.