Books and Articles — Military Families

Victims of Racism May Cause Symptoms Similar to Trauma, by Janice Wood. Psych Central, November 17, 2011.  “For black American adults, perceived racism may cause mental health symptoms similar to trauma and could lead to some physical health disparities between blacks and other populations in the United States, according to a new study.”

For Some Troops, Powerful Drug Cocktails Have Deadly Results, by James Dao and Benedict Carey, et al. New York Times, February 12, 2011.  “By some estimates, well over 300,000 troops have returned from Iraq or Afghanistan with P.T.S.D., depression, traumatic brain injury or some combination of those. The Pentagon has looked to pharmacology to treat those complex problems, following the lead of civilian medicine. As a result, psychiatric drugs have been used more widely across the military than in any previous war.”

Military Study Finds Benefits in Mental Health Screening, by James Dao. New York Times, January 18, 2011.  “Soldiers who were screened for mental health problems before deploying to Iraq were less likely to report suicidal thoughts, be evacuated for mental health reasons or require care for combat stress, a study published on Tuesday has found.”

Mental Health Visits Seen Rising as Parent Deploys, by Benedict Carey. New York Times, November 08, 2010.  “Young children in military families are about 10 percent more likely to see a doctor for a mental difficulty when a parent is deployed than when the parent is home, researchers are reporting Monday in the most comprehensive study to date of such families' use of health insurance during wartime.”

Army Studies Thrill-Seeking Behavior, by Elizabeth Bumiller. New York Times, October 30, 2010.  “Nearly a decade into two bloody wars, are the armed forces attracting recruits drawn to high-risk behavior?”

PTSD from War Stress Linked to Dementia, by Rick Nauert. Psych Central, September 03, 2010.  “A new study suggests that veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have a greater risk for dementia than veterans without PTSD.”

Army Strives to Reduce Suicide, Mental-health Issues, by Donna Miles. U.S. Department of Defense, August 08, 2010.  “The Army is striving to reduce soldier suicides and mental-health problems by giving troops more dwell time between deployments, identifying tell-tale symptoms more quickly and eliminating the stigma of seeking help, the Army vice chief of staff said today.”

More Vets Getting Mental Health Care, More Need Care, by Meredith Cohn. The Baltimore Sun, July 30, 2010.  “As the wars continue in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Department of Veterans Affairs can be sure of something: more people will leave the military in need of long-term medical care and long-term mental health care.”

Study Suggests More Veterans May Be Helped by Talking About Killing, by James Dao. New York Times, February 13, 2010.  “Killing is the one thing many combat veterans avoid discussing when they return home, whether out of shame, guilt or a deep fear of being misunderstood.”

Mental Health Issues Among Wives of Deployed, by Rick Nauert. Psych Central, January 05, 2010.

Deployments Taking Toll on Military’s Children, by James Dao. New York Times, December 07, 2009.  “After eight years of war, the young people left back home are reporting emotional wear and tear, a study finds.”

Military Rules Said to Hinder Therapy, by James Dao. New York Times, December 06, 2009.  “Confidentiality rules breed suspicion in troops, and, some say, often make psychotherapy less effective.”

PTSD: New War on an Old Foe, by Jamie Reno. Newsweek, October 01, 2009.  “Big changes underway at the VA could mean better treatment for thousands of vets. A bureaucracy in transition.”

Military Children Psychologically Impacted by Deployment, by Rick Nauert. Psych Central, August 13, 2009.

DOD offers online mental health counseling, by Mary Mosquera. Government Health IT, July 31, 2009.

Vets' Mental Health Diagnoses Rising, by James Dao. New York Times, July 16, 2009.  “Over a third of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans received a mental health diagnosis after 2001, a study found.”

Suicides of Soldiers Reach High of Nearly 3 Decades, by Lizette Alvarez. New York Times, January 29, 2009.  “At least 128 soldiers killed themselves last year, as the Army suicide rate surpassed that for civilians for the first time since the Vietnam War, according to Army statistics.”

A Family Grows When Both Parents Deploy, by David Sommerstein. NPR, December 28, 2008.

Wartime Deployment Influences Child Behavior, by Rick Nauert. Psych Central, November 05, 2008.

'Sesame Street' Takes on the Iraq War, by Daniel Stone. Newsweek, May 12, 2008.

When Strains on Military Families Turn Deadly, by Lizette Alvarez and Deborah Sontag. New York Times, February 15, 2008.  “An examination of cases of fatal domestic violence and child abuse indicate wartime pressures have complicated the Pentagon's efforts to change the current system.”

Deployment Stress Ups Child Abuse, by Rick Nauert. Psych Central, May 09, 2007.