Deployment Psychology Blog

Staff Perspective: Creating Evidence-Based Sustainable New Year’s Resolutions

By Alessandra Grillo  on 07.01.2026 11:30 am

The year 2026 is upon us. As we usher in a New Year, for many, this is the opportunity to set a new goal, intention, or resolution. Did you set a New Year’s resolution? If so, statistically speaking, you’re not alone. A recent study by the Pew Research Center found one in three adults made at least one resolution, and over half of this group made more than one goal. Paradoxically, roughly 41% of those adults abandoned at least one goal (or all of them) by the end of the month (Garcia, 2024).

Staff Perspective: Balancing Grief & Gratitude - A Gentle Reminder Check on Your Strong Friends Throughout the Holidays

By Katrice Byrd  on 31.12.2025 11:35 am
Katrice Byrd

December often evokes a sense of nostalgia, bringing with it cherished childhood memories of family, friends, abundant food, and holiday music, like hearing Silent Night by the Temptations on indefinite repeat. However, for others, the holiday season presents a painful contrast—a constant reminder of losses and distant voices reflecting what is no longer there.

Staff Perspective: Chasing the High - Hedonic Dysregulation as a Pathway to Alcohol Abuse

By Kathryn Monsey  on 24.12.2025 2:32 pm

When we think about alcohol or substance abuse in the military, most of us jump to familiar explanations: PTSD, deployment trauma, combat stress. These are the headline drivers we expect to see on intake forms and clinical assessments. But lurking quietly, often unnoticed and unspoken, is another powerful risk factor, one that rarely makes it onto the paperwork or into clinical interviews: boredom.

Staff Perspective: What Providers Need to Know About the VA's Free Emergency Suicide Care for Veterans

By Lisa French  on 17.12.2025 11:20 am
Dr. Lisa French

I was recently talking to a civilian community mental health provider, and she asked me if I thought veterans were utilizing mental health care more due to both the VA MISSION Act and the VA COMPACT Act. I thought about it briefly and responded (acknowledging that I had no evidence to support my answer) that it usually takes years for change following laws like these. Then I paused to really think about how much I have heard about either of these veteran-focused acts/laws in my role as a psychologist or as a veteran, and the answer was: not much. So I thought this would be a great topic to share with our community of providers.

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