LEADERSHIP
PROBLEM
Mental health is not something to be taken lightly, especially for veterans. As more research is conducted, there is a greater understanding of the mental obstacles that a veteran could potentially face once they are done serving in the military. It is common for veterans to experience Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, anger, and suicidal ideation. According to Veterans Affairs researchers, “About 1 in 3 veterans visiting primary care clinics has some symptoms of depression; 1 in 5 has serious symptoms that suggest the need for further evaluation for major depression; and 1 in 8 to 10 has major depression, requiring treatment with psychotherapy or antidepressants” (VA.gov). In addition, the National Center for Biotechnology Information claimed in one study of 600,000 veterans, 13 percent was diagnosed with PTSD. Other studies have shown between 20 to 30 percent of veterans show signs of PTSD. These conditions can be difficult to live with, as they can make concepts in daily life difficult to achieve. As a result, some veterans attempt to find solutions through detrimental coping mechanisms, such as drinking, partaking in drugs, or simply ignoring the problems. However, the best route to take is therapy. One study stated that “Both mindfulness and social connectedness had significant buffering effects in that the association between other-directed moral injury and suicidality weakened at higher levels of mindfulness and social connectedness” (Kelley, et al.). Having a strong social support system is proven to be the most beneficial option. There is a decrease in suicidal ideation for veterans that have a support system that they are able to talk to, such as family or friends. Talking to someone may help, but there is a required trust that must be present in a relationship. Without that trust, the veteran may be hesitant to mention their thoughts or emotions related to traumatic experiences.
It is believed that therapy is the best option; however there are still multiple flaws within that logic. Generally, therapy is proven to be most successful if there is a certain level of relation between people. “Trauma-focused psychotherapies are the most highly recommended type of treatment for PTSD. "Trauma-focused" means that the treatment focuses on the memory of the traumatic event or its meaning. These treatments use different techniques to help you process your traumatic experience. Some involve visualizing, talking, or thinking about the traumatic memory” (ptsd.va.gov). When a veteran knows that someone truly understands what they went through because that person went through something similar, they are more likely to open up about those experiences. In general, there is a lack of relatability. There may be a therapist that will listen, but so much more progress could be made if they had other veterans to rely on. I would like to make the therapy process more efficient for veterans, so that the suicide rate decreases.
RECOMMEDATION
The therapy program would be similar to those that already exist; however, they would include more information in reference to the veterans participating in the group. This could be more beneficial to the veterans if they were discussing their experiences with other veterans that they can relate to. The program would be designed in a way intended to treat those with PTSD using a support system composed of others that understand their situation. There would be psychologists that are trained to use trauma-focused psychotherapies to help the veterans work through their traumatic experiences. While researching information regarding veteran suicide, I learned that veterans are more likely to discuss personal information with other veterans, rather than a therapist or psychiatrist due to the mutual understanding in a support group as well as one-on-one if needed. In order to create a more cohesive group, I would create an extensive background survey that would cover topics that could facilitate an esprit de corp within the group. The background survey would help group people of similar religious affiliations, age, race, and experiences. Taking that extra step to form groups based on common backgrounds could potentially encourage veterans to engage in discussions regarding re-evaluation of the trauma they have endured by building on the common experiences and backgrounds that they share. The goal of this support group, separate from the VA, would be to guide veterans back to “normal” lives with minimal to no hindrances caused by PTSD.
IMPLEMENTATION
1.
Create a background survey including questions regarding religious affiliations, race, age, diagnoses, and experiences. The formation of the questions would provide guidance on composing groups that would provide maximum potential for improving the mental health of veterans.
3.
Compose groups based on background survey answers so that there is an underlying understanding of various aspects in each individual's life. The groups would have approximately 8 to 10 people per group. This would allow each individual to interact more frequently and encourage bonds. Having a support group constructed of similar individuals gives them the opportunity to overcome any mental obstacles by relying on one another. The first set of groups would be a pilot study to determine things that need to be improved.This could include the survey, the foundation of the organization, advertising methods, and composition of the groups. There would be sheets handed out after each meeting to gather suggestions in regards to what could be done better. During the pilot study, there will be a control group composed of 8 to 10 individuals that meet individually with the psychiatrist rather than attending group meetings. It is predicted that the individuals within groups that have interactive meetings will improve more than those that only meet with the psychiatrist.
5.
Over the course of multiple weeks, encourage the participants to complete a survey indicating the levels of their depression, anxiety, irritability, emotional state, etc. This will allow the founders of the group as well as the veterans to see the progress they are making.
7.
Review the comments and suggestions provided by the veterans of the support group and brainstorm ways to improve the aspects that need to be adjusted. Doing this will increase the efficiency of the support group by taking into consideration what is necessary for the veterans to experience maximum growth in their healing process.
2.
Find possible participants by advertising the group in locations with a heavy military presence, such as Jacksonville, North Carolina. There would be flyers, advertisements on social media, and social media accounts providing the statement of the support group. It will be aimed specifically towards veterans that have been diagnosed with some form of mental disorder or disability. This includes depression, anxiety, PTSD, etc. The goal of the group would be to provide the veterans with free trauma-focused psychotherapy that helps them to address the sources of their trauma.
4.
Pick multiple psychologists to work with each group consistently to build a personal relationship with each veteran. Personalizing interactions build trust between the veterans as well as the psychologist and veterans. A common deterrent of veterans from therapy is the lack of understanding that the psychologist has for their particular situation. This would prevent that feeling by allowing stronger bonds to be created.
6.
Provide the participants with surveys that contain a comment section. In the start of the support group, it is predicted that veterans will be unsure of how to react. This is due to the conservative mindset that many veterans maintain, even after they complete their time in service. However, as the group continues to meet, it is believed that the veterans will begin to form personal relationships with others in the group and become more willing to discuss their experiences. Due to the fact that this will be an ongoing evaluation, the veterans will be asked to provide input and feedback regarding the support group periodically. The feedback will contain information pertaining to aspects that they enjoy about the group as well as things that they dislike about the program. This will allow us to determine what steps need to be taken to proceed with the program.
EVALUATION
The best way to determine if the project achieved the goals it was primarily designed to accomplish is if there is an increase in the number of veterans that wish to participate as well as positive evaluations and feedback from the veterans in attendance. Over the time span of weeks, the veterans within each group will be provided with a survey pertaining to their mental health. They will be asked to rate their emotions, such as anxiety, stress, irritability, depression, etc. on a scale from 1 to 10. 1 will represent those emotions interfering minimally with their daily lives, while 10 will represent that specific emotion being debilitating in their daily lives. This survey will be given every three weeks. This ensures that the veterans are being given ample amount of time to use the techniques and tips given to them by the psychologists. Over time, the progress of each veteran and group will be analyzed. This will allow the founders of the group to determine way to improve and what areas need to be focused on. The primary indication of success would be improvements in mental health of the veterans within the group. Not only that, but it will allow us to determine if increased interaction between veterans within the groups is beneficial to the improvement of mental health. If the majority of the group displays improvement, it will provide evidence that the support group is fulfilling its initial purpose. As time continues, there should be a greater improvement in the group with increased veteran interaction as opposed to the individuals that only interact with the psychologist. Input regarding the success of the group would be provided by the assigned psychologist devoted to each individual small group and the veterans as they continue to participate in the group therapy.