Whether the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic influences suicide rates in older adults remains unknown. Nevertheless, experts suggest a convergence of risk factors for suicide, which may uniquely impact the elderly.
It has been a tough year for many people around the world as we struggle to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. Within the United States, we have not only surpassed the 6 million mark of people infected with the virus, but our deaths from the virus are nearing 200,000. We are more than six months into a period of extended social distancing and quarantine, and most of us are feeling depleted. To add to this stress, we also have a second pandemic we are battling, the racism pandemic.
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.
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?
The concept of moral injury (MI) has become much more of a mainstream construct in mental health treatment over the last decade. In my research for this article, I reviewed my colleague’s observations and perspectives on the theoretical development, assessment and treatment. There has been rigorous examination, discussion and research on the construct of MI, its causes and remedies.