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Military Health and Health Care

Public Health Preparedness
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Trust in the CDC, Teaching Students with Disabilities, Russian Mercenaries: RAND Weekly Recap
Apr 9, 2021
This weekly recap focuses declining trust in the CDC, insights from educators about teaching students with disabilities, Russian mercenaries, and more.
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Military Health and Health Care
commentary
All Veterans with Invisible Wounds Should Receive High-Quality Care That Meets These Standards
Carrie M. Farmer @carriefarmer, Lu Dong, Kacie Kelly
Oct 30, 2020
The RAND Blog
Millions of post-9/11 U.S. military veterans experience life-changing invisible wounds, including posttraumatic stress disorder and chronic issues resulting from traumatic brain injuries. While effective treatments are available, many veterans lack access to high-quality care. And what high-quality care means, exactly, has been elusive.
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Military Health and Health Care
commentary
Pandemics and the U.S. Military: Lessons from 1918
Michael Shurkin
Apr 1, 2020
War on the Rocks
Military leaders today face a more benign security environment than their predecessors did during the 1918 Spanish flu. The U.S. military is engaged in operations abroad, but it's not fighting a great-power war. The Pentagon has every reason to focus on stemming the COVID-19 pandemic even if it has to absorb some downgrade in readiness.
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Politics and Government
blog
State of the Union 2020: Insights from RAND
Feb 5, 2020
The final State of the Union address of President Trump's four-year term may be viewed through the lens of the unprecedented circumstances surrounding the evening. But the speech touched on a range of policy challenges that will remain, regardless of how politics play out in 2020.
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Health Care Workforce
commentary
Review of Behavioral Health Technician Training, Policies, and Practice Identifies New Opportunities
Stephanie Brooks Holliday, Bradley Blair, Aimee Ruscio, Kimberly A. Hepner @KimberlyHepner
Oct 15, 2019
The RAND Blog
Behavioral health technicians are trained to be an essential part of the mental health clinical team, serving as provider extenders who work alongside and support licensed mental health providers. What are the factors that affect these roles? And how can the Military Health System most effectively incorporate them into mental health care settings?
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Combat Support Operations
commentary
Lives on the Line: The A2AD Challenge to Combat Casualty Care
Marta Kepe @martakepe
Jul 31, 2018
Modern War Institute (West Point)
Countries such as Russia and China continue to develop and expand the ability to integrate long-range strike, anti-ship, anti-air, space and cyber abilities. Provision of medical support could be a worthy priority for NATO planners when considering deterrence of and defense against near-peer or peer adversaries.
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Suicide
commentary
Comparing Suicide Rates: Making an Apples to Apples Comparison
Rajeev Ramchand @RRamchand
Apr 2, 2018
The Injury Control Research Center for Suicide Prevention
As the national suicide rate continues to rise, an increasing number of stakeholders are looking within their own communities and asking: “Do we have a suicide problem?” It's a difficult question to answer.
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Military Caregivers
essay
Military Caregivers Share the Costs of War
Oct 30, 2017
Millions of veterans and service members receive care from family and friends who need support as well. Military caregivers sacrifice their time, their jobs, and even their health to provide a service worth billions of dollars to the United States.
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Military Health and Health Care
commentary
The Lack of Clarity Over Medical Support for Light Footprint Operations and How It Could Be Solved
Susanne Sondergaard, Marta Kepe @martakepe
Sep 19, 2017
Pan European Networks
Early identification and planning for medical support for EU-led military operations are vital to saving lives, treating injuries and keeping personnel healthy. Common standards would ensure high-quality and consistent medical support regardless of which country is providing it.
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Military Personnel Retention
commentary
Military Power Is All About People: A Return to Personnel Policy
Radha Iyengar Plumb, Brad R. Carson, Amy Schafer, John D. Winkler
Jul 27, 2017
War on the Rocks
Ensuring the strength of U.S. armed forces is critical to U.S. national security and the key source of strength is its people. True investment in personnel is a long-term legacy and an investment worthy of attention and policy debate to ensure the United States continues to recruit and retain the most effective fighting force in the world.
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Military Personnel
essay
Transgender Troops: Fit to Serve
Aug 18, 2016
The Pentagon's decision to open the ranks to transgender service members was informed by months of RAND research into the costs and numbers involved.
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Military Families
commentary
'In the Deployment Life Study, I Saw My Own Family'
M. M. Smith
Jul 18, 2016
SpouseBUZZ
RAND's Deployment Life Study was designed to examine how deployment affects the health and well-being of military families. M.M. Smith, an active-duty military spouse, offers her response to the study.
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Military Families
essay
The Resilience of Military Families
Jun 16, 2016
Deployment of a spouse and parent can shake a military family to its core. But according to RAND research, these families display remarkable resilience.
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Military Health and Health Care
commentary
As Congress Drafts the NDAA, What Are Options for TRICARE Reform?
Susan D. Hosek, Nathaniel Lutovsky
Feb 8, 2016
The RAND Blog
A stronger TRICARE program that provides greater value-based care in a more efficient manner could result from adopting innovations made in the private sector, while also recognizing the unique role of military treatment facilities.
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Suicide
commentary
Veterans Day 2015: Three Priorities for Preventing Veteran Suicide (And It's Not All on the VA!)
Rajeev Ramchand @RRamchand
Nov 11, 2015
The RAND Blog
The suicide rate among veterans is three times that of nonveterans. Additional research and policy intervention in three important areas could help ensure that fewer veterans die at their own hands.
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Suicide
q&a
Helping the Most Vulnerable: Q&A with Rajeev Ramchand
Oct 26, 2015
Rajeev Ramchand discusses drug abuse, suicide, and how research can make a difference for society's most vulnerable.
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Military Health and Health Care
commentary
Tools for Coping with a Military Spouse's Drinking
Karen Chan Osilla
Oct 5, 2015
SpouseBUZZ
A new research study and web program, Partners Connect, was launched in September to help military spouses concerned about a loved one's drinking.
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Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
commentary
Veterans Battle Mental Health Issues After Iraq and Afghanistan
Terri Tanielian, Rajeev Ramchand @RRamchand
Jun 4, 2015
U.S. News & World Report
Researchers have made great progress capturing the consequences of coping with injuries sustained in the theater of war, but the emerging picture is shadowed in grays. A series of recent findings presents a bleak portrait of the cost of modern war to service members, their families, and their health care providers.
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Military Personnel
commentary
Book Review: 'God Is Not Here' by Bill Russell Edmonds
Linda Robinson @RobinsonL100
May 19, 2015
New York Times
'God Is Not Here' shows how not to send a soldier to war. The experience is searing and often brutal, and only a well-led, well-trained, cohesive unit can help servicemen and servicewomen do their duty and survive both mentally and physically.
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Sleep
commentary
U.S. Soldiers Denied Sleep Suffer Major Health Effects
Wendy M. Troxel @wendytroxel, Regina A. Shih @ReginaShih
May 11, 2015
U.S. News & World Report
More than 60 percent of service members don't get the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep per night. About a third get by on five hours or less. The military, and society at large, needs to recognize the importance of sleep as a crucial link to physical and mental well-being.
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Military Caregivers
commentary
Caring for Our Nation's Hidden Heroes?
Elizabeth Dole, Michael D. Rich @michaeldrich
May 7, 2015
Washington Times
Thanks to a growing list of more than 100 organizations that have pledged their commitment as members of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation's National Coalition for Military Caregivers, our nation is taking long overdue action to support both our wounded warriors and those who care for them.
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Military Veterans
commentary
Learning to Let Go
Kayla M. Williams
Apr 16, 2015
More Magazine
Kayla Williams discusses being a minority in the veterans' community, then finding a group of other female veterans, strangers who knew more about her life than many family members.
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Military Families
q&a
From Combat to Caregiving: Q&A with Kayla Williams
Mar 6, 2015
Kayla Williams talks about being a female soldier and the spouse of a wounded warrior, why veterans aren't broken and caregivers aren't saints, and more.
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Veterans Health Care
commentary
Military Turns to Collaborative Care to Treat PTSD, Depression
Charles C. Engel @CharlesEngel
Nov 19, 2014
Psychiatric News
Collaborative care has been an important part of Army efforts to reach out to those struggling with PTSD and depression. It has brought a science-based solution to an essential military problem and has helped thousands of men and women in uniform in ways that also nudge the larger mental health system toward greater effectiveness for all Americans.
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Military Caregivers
commentary
Honoring America's Veterans Requires Helping Their Families, Too
Terri Tanielian
Nov 11, 2014
Family Studies
This Veterans Day, the United States especially honors the millions of veterans living with service-related illnesses and injuries. But it's also important to recognize the sacrifices of those helping them to recover and thrive: America's 5.5 million military caregivers.
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Military Veterans
blog
Research Drives Ongoing Support for Veterans
Nov 10, 2014
On November 11, we honor the service and sacrifices of America's veterans. But as they return home and adjust to civilian life, veterans and their families face new challenges and communities struggle to meet their unique needs. Rigorous research is essential to addressing these challenges and finding long-term solutions. RAND explores key issues concerning veterans such as employment, health and well-being, family support, and education.
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Military Health and Health Care
commentary
Compromised Confidentiality in the Military Is Harmful
Charles C. Engel @CharlesEngel
Oct 27, 2014
Psychiatric Times
Mental health stigma exists across American society, but the problem in the military is fundamentally different. It boils down to the jarring and institutionalized military failure to place adequate boundaries between the workplace and the therapist's office.
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Military Health and Health Care
commentary
Military and Veteran Mental Health: Why Should Psychiatrists Care?
Charles C. Engel @CharlesEngel
Aug 6, 2014
Psychiatric Times
What's happening in the mental health world of the U.S. military and veterans is of great interest to all American psychiatrists. The local impact of recent deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan runs much deeper than just the number of veterans in a particular practice or community.
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Military Families
blog
Ask Me Anything: Rajeev Ramchand on Military Caregivers
Jun 24, 2014
With military caregivers quickly becoming a topic of national discussion, RAND's Rajeev Ramchand hosted an
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Military Caregivers
commentary
One Military Caregiver's Story
Rachel O'Hern, Terri Tanielian
May 23, 2014
The RAND Blog
America shouldn't forget the sacrifices of those who care for the wounded. Rachel O'Hern tells the story of her life as a military caregiver, one of millions of spouses, family members, and friends who support service members and veterans with physical or emotional injuries or illnesses.
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Military Caregivers
commentary
Finding a New Normal: A Military Caregiver's Perspective
Kayla M. Williams
May 6, 2014
Blue Star Families
The landscape for caregivers remains very difficult. Many still need additional training on how to best provide care for their loved ones, respite so they can care for themselves, and other forms of support.
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Military Caregivers
commentary
Four Ways to Help Military Caregivers
Rajeev Ramchand @RRamchand, Terri Tanielian
Apr 15, 2014
The RAND Blog
As momentum continues to build, stakeholders across the board should keep in mind four broad recommendations for how to help military caregivers.
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Military Caregivers
commentary
Military Caregivers Are Hidden Heroes
Elizabeth Dole, Michael D. Rich @michaeldrich
Apr 2, 2014
USA Today
Right now there are 5.5 million wives, husbands, siblings, parents, children and friends devoted to the care of those injured fighting America's wars. Theirs is an all-consuming, emotionally draining task, one that has been driven for too long by loyalty and love, but little support.
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Military Caregivers
commentary
A World Without America's Military Caregivers
Rajeev Ramchand @RRamchand, Terri Tanielian
Mar 31, 2014
The RAND Blog
A world without military caregivers would be a harsher one for all, particularly for those who have served. Military caregivers' sacrifices improve the lives of wounded, ill, and injured service members and veterans, more of whom would suffer without them.
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Military Caregivers
blog
Spotlight on America's Hidden Heroes: Military Caregivers
Rajeev Ramchand @RRamchand, Terri Tanielian
Mar 24, 2014
Despite military caregivers' vital contributions, little is known about their numbers, the burden of caregiving that they shoulder, or the resources that exist to support them. To shed light on these
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Military Caregivers
commentary
They Also Serve: Understanding the Needs of Military Caregivers
Rajeev Ramchand @RRamchand, Terri Tanielian
Nov 18, 2013
The RAND Blog
Military families play a critical role in supporting U.S. servicemembers during deployment and afterwards. Equally vital but often less visible is the role played by those who care for the servicemembers who return with disabling injuries or illnesses and require long-term support beyond what the formal health care system provides.
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Gulf War Illness
q&a
Gulf War Illness: Still Looking for Answers
Jul 8, 2013
Bernard Rostker and Ross Anthony, RAND senior economists with expertise on Gulf War Illness (GWI), discuss a study by scientists at Georgetown University Medical Center that suggests the symptoms of GWI are biological in nature, and a GWI study RAND conducted more than a decade ago.
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Military Families
commentary
Research Is a Fundamental Component of Suicide Prevention
Rajeev Ramchand @RRamchand
May 24, 2013
The RAND Blog
While our research has taught us many things about suicide prevention we think additional research is critically needed in two areas, writes Rajeev Ramchand. The first is gun control. The second area is the quality of behavioral health care available to those who need it.
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Military Families
commentary
A National Strategy for Supporting Military Caregivers
Terri Tanielian, Rajeev Ramchand @RRamchand
Mar 7, 2013
The RAND Blog
The act of caring for a veteran takes a physical, mental, and economic toll on caregivers and their families. Giving caregivers the skills and resources they need to cope and thrive should be as much a priority as giving veterans medical care.
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Military Families
blog
RAND Research for Military Family Month
Nov 7, 2012
RAND is a resource for research and policy recommendations that address the challenges faced by military members, spouses, and their children.
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Military Health and Health Care
blog
Stigma Reduction Programs Could Help Those with PTSD, but the Evidence Is Weak
Carrie M. Farmer @carriefarmer
Jul 3, 2012
Determining the effectiveness of programs designed to reduce the stigma of post-traumatic stress disorder is essential to helping servicemembers seek and receive the care they need.
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Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
blog
Resources for Servicemembers and Veterans with PTSD
Jun 21, 2012
As Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Day approaches on June 27th, policymakers continue to look for ways to best help our nation's servicemembers and veterans with PTSD and other combat related mental health problems.
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Military Health and Health Care
commentary
Preventing Military Suicides Is a Nationwide Effort
Rajeev Ramchand @RRamchand
Jun 14, 2012
The RAND Blog
The military is experiencing a higher number of suicides than it has ever experienced at this time before. RAND research has a number of recommendations to prevent suicide among military personnel based.
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Military Families
blog
Celebrating the Month of the Military Child
Apr 5, 2012
April is the Month of the Military Child, a national initiative to support and honor America's service members and their families. The celebration is being recognized with events around the country, and is a key national initiative of First Lady Michelle Obama.
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Military Families
commentary
Military Families: What We Know and What We Don't Know
Sarah O. Meadows @SarahOMeadows
Mar 2, 2012
National Council on Family Relations Report Magazine
Never before in our nation's history have our service members and their families been so challenged and never before have their struggles (and successes) been the topic of so much scholarly attention, writes Sarah O. Meadows.
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Military Families
commentary
In Memoriam
Rajeev Ramchand @RRamchand
May 29, 2011
Newsday
Not only would the delivery of quality behavioral care prevent suicides, but it would also aid in the recovery of the nearly 20 percent of service members with post-traumatic stress disorder or depression, writes Rajeev Ramchand.
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