Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

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Setting Standards for Delivering High-Quality Care to Veterans with Invisible Wounds

Posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, traumatic brain injury, and substance use disorders are common among post-9/11 veterans and can interfere with their employment, family life, engagement with their communities, and overall well-being. A shared definition and standards for high-quality care can help organizations better support veterans.

Natalie Ernecoff, Carrie M. Farmer @carriefarmer, et al.

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Supporting America's Veterans: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on helping veterans experiencing homelessness, better care for veterans with brain injuries and PTSD, and easing transitions to the civilian workforce.

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Advances in Care for Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injuries or PTSD

A new standard of care proposed by RAND researchers aims to redefine high-quality care for veterans with a traumatic brain injury or posttraumatic stress disorder. But it also could serve as a template for making health care more effective, more consistent, and more responsive for more patients.

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A Voice for Veterans on Capitol Hill: Q&A with Terri Tanielian

Terri Tanielian, a senior behavioral scientist at RAND and an internationally recognized expert on military and veteran health, spent six months as a fellow with the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. She helped the committee develop a comprehensive suicide prevention strategy.

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There's Help for Veterans with Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders

Many post-9/11 veterans who have PTSD or depression also struggle with substance use. There are clinically proven treatments to help break the cycle of the co-occurring disorders, but the VA and other facilities need guidance on how to expand and enhance treatment opportunities for these veterans.

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All Veterans with Invisible Wounds Should Receive High-Quality Care That Meets These Standards

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.

Carrie M. Farmer @carriefarmer, Lu Dong @LuDongPhD, et al.

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PTSD and Substance Use Disorders Are a Vicious Cycle for Veterans

It is not uncommon to see a co-occurrence of PTSD and heavy use of substances, which can rise to the level of a substance use disorder. It may be necessary to challenge how the needs of veterans are addressed to remove barriers to care that make treating these co-occurring disorders simultaneously so difficult.

Michael Richardson, Roger Brooks, et al.

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Civilians Returning from War Zones Need More Support

Deployed civilians often work alongside the military in combat zones or other high-stress, high-risk areas. But when they return, their experience is much different. They come home to support that is often incomplete and insufficient, and sometimes entirely nonexistent.

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More Can Be Done to Save Veterans from Suicide

A decade of research at RAND has sought to focus the national conversation about suicide in general, and veteran suicide in particular, around solutions that work. The overwhelming message: We could do more to save the lives of veterans like Daniel Somers. Here is his story.

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After School Shootings, Children and Communities Struggle to Heal

School shootings leave wounds that affect students, school staff, families, and communities for years. Building community resilience, implementing evidence-based mental health support early, and providing access for survivors and the community immediately and in the long term could help promote healing and prevent more tragedy.

Ariella Iancu, Lisa H. Jaycox, et al.

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Childhood Trauma Is More Common Than You Think. This School-Based Intervention Can Help

A program developed at RAND helps children exposed to trauma confront and subdue their stress and anxiety. The program grew out of the 1990s street violence of South Los Angeles and has since helped kids from Newtown to Fukushima. Researchers are tailoring this intervention for children in Puerto Rico whose lives were upended by hurricanes.

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Preventing Suicide: Treat Mass Shooting Trauma Beyond Initial Tragedy

The need for mental health support and suicide-prevention efforts targeting survivors of mass shootings, and the friends and families of victims, is great. Putting such programs in place could go a long way toward helping them heal, and preventing more tragedy.

Joie D. Acosta, Lisa H. Jaycox

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Military Caregivers Share the Costs of War

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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Raising Awareness of the Need for Collaborative Care to Treat PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder affects nearly 8 percent of American adults from all walks of life. Research suggests that more work is needed to improve and adapt models of care for PTSD.

Lisa S. Meredith

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Invisible Wounds: Closing the Gaps to More Effectively Address These Injuries

Too few of the veterans who experience mental health issues get the help they need. Even fewer get the right care. Closing these gaps will require raising awareness about the barriers to care, and changing how the mental health care system is organized and delivers services.

Terri Tanielian

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Is America's Crisis 'System' in Crisis?

The United States has made life-saving progress on crisis support for veterans. Now other suicide prevention services need help. Progress made by the VA could provide a blueprint for improving suicide prevention services for all Americans.

Rajeev Ramchand @RRamchand

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Book Review: 'Women at War'

Today, women represent approximately 15 percent of the U.S. military but research on their specific physical and psychological health issues has remained relatively sparse. A new book, Women at War, attempts to change that.

Kayla M. Williams @KWilliams101

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A Frontline Civilian's Invisible Wounds of War

For frontline civilians, daily life built around war often involves waking up on a remote base and working side by side with soldiers in hazardous places. They often don't get the care and support that they need, whether in an area of crisis and instability, or when they return home.

S. Rebecca Zimmerman

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Military Security Contractors Get PTSD, Too

Largely absent from the conversation about the use of military security contractors are the parallel issues of mental health and the deployment-related stress contractors can face.

Molly Dunigan, Carrie M. Farmer @carriefarmer

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Social Media as a Tool for Reaching Veterans in Need of Mental Health Care

Reaching veterans to learn more about their mental health care seeking poses a conundrum. They are typically recruited for studies in clinical settings, so those who are not seeking care are not represented. Facebook may be a viable method to reach them.

Eric R. Pedersen @ericrpedersen

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Veterans Battle Mental Health Issues After Iraq and Afghanistan

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.

Terri Tanielian, Rajeev Ramchand @RRamchand

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Military Turns to Collaborative Care to Treat PTSD, Depression

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.

Charles C. Engel

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Military and Veteran Mental Health: Why Should Psychiatrists Care?

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.

Charles C. Engel

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Ask Me Anything: Rajeev Ramchand on Military Caregivers

With military caregivers quickly becoming a topic of national discussion, RAND's Rajeev Ramchand hosted an

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Finding a New Normal: A Military Caregiver's Perspective

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.

Kayla M. Williams @KWilliams101

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Four Ways to Help Military Caregivers

As momentum continues to build, stakeholders across the board should keep in mind four broad recommendations for how to help military caregivers.

Rajeev Ramchand @RRamchand, Terri Tanielian

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A World Without America's Military Caregivers

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.

Rajeev Ramchand @RRamchand, Terri Tanielian

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Dear Military Spouses: I'm Sorry

Kayla Williams describes her difficult transition from soldier to spouse, sergeant to civilian, team leader to caregiver. Two books by military wives opened her eyes to the challenges and rewards of marrying into the military, and the unique kind of service military families experience.

Kayla M. Williams @KWilliams101

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Will America Forget Its Veterans?

The needs of U.S. veterans will not end when the war does; they will just be beginning. Though over a lifetime veterans are more highly educated, employed, and paid than their civilian counterparts, the period of reintegration can be challenging.

Kayla M. Williams @KWilliams101

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Out of the Shadows, Into the Light: Why Americans Should Care About the Health of Contractors Deploying to Conflict Environments

In contrast to the numerous mental health resources available to members of the U.S. military, very few (if any) resources are available to help private contractors struggling with mental health problems. It is in the best interest of all involved to ensure that contractors receive the support and treatment they need.

Molly Dunigan, Carrie M. Farmer @carriefarmer

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They Also Serve: Understanding the Needs of Military Caregivers

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.

Rajeev Ramchand @RRamchand, Terri Tanielian

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Moore Must Be Ready for Psychological Aftermath

Ensuring the availability of needed mental health resources was critical in the immediate aftermath and recovery phase of the 2011 Joplin, Missouri tornado. Authorities in Oklahoma must ensure that such services are in place early so that Moore's residents can begin the long journey to recovery.

Mahshid Abir

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Resources for Schools and Parents Following the Deadly Oklahoma Tornado

The toll of the tornado on school students in Moore, Oklahoma, cannot be overstated. To assist with recovery, RAND's CBITS program offers resources on psychological first aid for schools, as well as additional materials for educators and parents.

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Research Is a Fundamental Component of Suicide Prevention

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.

Rajeev Ramchand @RRamchand

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Retired General Chiarelli Discusses Perceptions of Post-Traumatic Stress

Ret. Gen. Peter Chiarelli, who was Army vice chief of staff, discusses why he disagrees with the idea that the post-traumatic stress soldiers suffer is a disorder with RAND president and CEO Michael Rich at RAND's Politics Aside event.

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Supporting Families Affected by Military Suicide Should Be a Priority for All

While many of these families fight for honor and respect from the DoD or support from the VA, the comfort that they need will not be provided by either institution, nor should it be. Rather, it is up to us—as their neighbors, coworkers, teachers, and students—to shower these families with the love and support they need and deserve, writes Rajeev Ramchand.

Rajeev Ramchand @RRamchand

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We Need a Public-Private Approach to Supporting Veterans

Honoring the sacrifices of veterans should be front and center on our policy agenda and not limited to one day a year, says Terri Tanielian.

Terri Tanielian

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Stigma Reduction Programs Could Help Those with PTSD, but the Evidence Is Weak

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.

Carrie M. Farmer @carriefarmer

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Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in Vulnerable Populations

June is National PTSD Awareness Month and June 27th is PTSD Awareness Day, providing an opportunity to recognize the challenges faced by survivors of trauma who live with PTSD symptoms. RAND research is helping increase awareness about the disorder and inform policy about how to prevent and address it.

Lisa S. Meredith

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Resources for Servicemembers and Veterans with PTSD

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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Preventing Military Suicides Is a Nationwide Effort

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.

Rajeev Ramchand @RRamchand

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Helping Kids Cope with the Effects of Violence and Trauma

The impact of violence and trauma on children has led RAND and its partners to focus not only on studying the problem, but working collaboratively to find interventions that help address a significant public health need.

Lisa H. Jaycox

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Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Significant Public Health Problem

In recognition of National Mental Health Month, May 2012, we spotlight posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and RAND's work to advance understanding and treatment of this condition, which affects many more people than is commonly thought.

David M. Adamson

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Bridging the Gaps in Treating Veterans with Post-Deployment Mental Health Problems

Delivery of evidence-based care to all veterans with PTSD or depression would pay for itself—or even save money—within two years by improving productivity and reducing medical and mortality costs, writes Terri Tanielian.

Terri Tanielian

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In Memoriam

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.

Rajeev Ramchand @RRamchand

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War's Invisible Wounds

Nearly 300,000 Iraq and Afghanistan service veterans who have returned home -- about one in five -- may suffer from combat-stress-related mental health problems. Our veterans ought to get the best available treatments our nation can offer, but they don't, write authors Terry Schell, Terri Tanielian and Lisa Jaycox.

Terry L. Schell, Terri Tanielian, et al.

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Invisible Wounds of War

According to a recent RAND Corporation study about these

Kayla M. Williams @KWilliams101