We are excited to share the launch of a study focusing on the development of a new research tool, the Morally Injurious Life Events Checklist (MILEC). The MILEC, developed by the research team at the Center for Deployment Psychology, is designed to deepen our understanding of moral injury.
Sleep isn’t just a personal health issue for service members; it’s a mission-critical factor that affects unit cohesion, operational performance, and overall force readiness. Yet for years, military culture sent a different message. Pushing through exhaustion was worn like a badge of honor, and phrases like “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” were all too common. Sleep deprivation was seen as a sign of toughness rather than a threat to mission success. Thankfully, the conversation is shifting.
Determining Risks using Ecological Assessments of Mood, Sleep, & Suicide: An ecological momentary assessment of sleep effects in veterans with suicidal ideation, or DREAMSS, is a new pilot study led by Dr. Maegan Willing from the Center for Deployment Psychology. This study will explore how sleep quality impacts the thoughts and feelings of veterans who struggle with insomnia and suicidal thoughts. Using proven strategies, we will use mobile apps and Fitbits to monitor individuals sleep while collecting real-time data on thoughts and mood to uncover crucial insights for reducing the risk of suicide in veterans.
Members of the CDP Research Team, including Jaime Rodden, Sebastian Preilipper, Ariana Bazzi, and Dr. Maegan Willing enjoyed participating in the 2025 USU Research Day. This annual event at the Uniformed Services University serves as a vital platform to promote and highlight the diverse research conducted by students, postdoctoral fellows, and research associates across USU and its affiliate institutions.
The collaboration study "Turning Training into Action: Translating Training of Behavioral Health Providers into Evidence-Based Practices" is led by Dr. Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth from the Military Family Research Institute at Purdue University, with CDP site-PI Jeffrey Cook. The study utilizes the Star Behavioral Health Providers (SBHP) program, a training and referral system used by the National Guard Bureau to elevate the standard of community-based behavioral health services. SBHP recruits and equips community providers with evidence-based knowledge through online and in-person training delivered to thousands across the country.