Deployment Psychology Blog

Research Update: 26 March 2020

The weekly Research Update contains the latest news, journal articles, useful links from around the web. Some of this week's topics include:

● PTSD Research Quarterly: Practical Implications of Research on Intimate Partner Violence Against Women
● The Role of Psychological and Social Factors in the Relationship between Attachment and Suicide: A Systematic Review.
● The Use of Telepain for Chronic Pain in the U.S. Armed Forces: Patient Experience from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
● Effect of Patient Compliance With Treatment Recommendations on Clinical Outcomes in Chronic mTBI: A TEAM-TBI Study.

Staff Perspective: Can EBPs Be Delivered by Videoconferencing or Telephone?

Carin Lefkowitz, Psy.D.

CDP Subject Matter Experts have been receiving many questions about delivering evidence-based psychotherapy (EBP) via telemental health.  As providers struggle to continue to deliver treatment without face-to-face contact, questions arise about adaptations for videoconferencing and even telephone-only delivery of services.  Read below for ideas on how to quickly adapt services in light of the coronavirus outbreak.

Staff Perspective: PTSD and Sleep Apnea Are Intertwined

I have noticed that more than half of my military-connected patients with PTSD have been diagnosed with sleep apnea as well, and some are younger (e.g., in their 30s). Consistent with my observations, a study with 195 Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans between 21 to 59 seeking care at outpatient VA clinics identified nearly 70% of the participants with a high risk for sleep apnea and noted that the risk increased with the severity of PTSD symptoms (Colvonen et al., 2015). 

Staff Perspective: My Experience with Mental Illness and COVID-19

Coping with a mental illness is always difficult, but the COVID-19 pandemic presents additional challenges. The author shares her personal story of how the pandemic has impacted her treatment and how she is practicing self-care. She offers helpful suggestions for those coping with behavioral health conditions and their support systems.

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