Deployment Psychology : Evidence-Based Strategies to Promote Mental Health in the Military

The impact of combat on service members' mental health has received considerable attention both in the popular press and in scholarly publications. Yet few books have focused on systematic, evidence-based attempts at preventing mental health problems and enhancing service members' well-being and resilience. This book is intended to fill that gap. The editors have gathered leading clinicians and researchers in military mental health to examine how mental health providers and military leaders can best moderate the negative impact of combat. Contributors discuss the importance of individual screening, training, peer support, leadership and organizational policies, as well as the development and implementation of large-scale mental health programs that incorporate these elements and more. The editors promote a broad occupational health model of prevention and include the latest research on delivering mental health services in pre-deployment, in-theater settings, and VA hospitals. The psychological health of not only service members but also military families is approached as an integral aspect of deployment psychology. The result is a ground-breaking book that emphasizes what we know-and don't know-about evidence-based interventions. It represents the first comprehensive review of mental health interventions across the deployment cycle and will help guide the field of military psychology in developing a much-needed support system for service members in the years to come.