VA Study: More Depression Patients Should Get Access to Talk Therapy BOSTON – Nationwide, about a fourth of patients diagnosed with major depression are treated with talk therapy by a trained counselor. Many more might prefer that approach to taking medication, but...
New Comprehensive VA/DoD Guideline Seeks to Stem Tide of Suicides
Servicemembers, Veterans Take Their Own Lives at Higher Rates
WASHINGTON—In recent decades, suicide rates have soared in the United States, increasing 25% from 1999 to 2016.
The issue has been especially acute among military servicemembers and veterans.
Best Pain Rating Scales for Cognitively Impaired Veterans
Cognitive-behavioral impairment can be intensified by pain in traumatic brain injury patients and impede rehabilitation efforts
Seeing Combat Can Make Aging More Difficult for Veterans
PORTLAND, OR—Being exposed to combat makes a significant difference in how military veterans fare during aging, according to a new study, which also found that the experience increases the risk for depression and anxiety later in life. “There are a lot factors of...
Combat PTSD/TBI Increases Amygdala Size in Military Patients
SAN DIEGO — The region of the brain that processes fear, anxiety, aggression and similar emotions is larger in veterans and active-duty service members with combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder and mild traumatic brain injury than those with brain injuries only.
Army Doctor’s Unique Training Helps Improve Battlefield Medicine
SAN ANTONIO— Col. Andrew Cap, the division chief of Acute Combat Casualty Research at the Army Institute of Surgical Research, admits that he’s the last person you want to ask for advice on how to plan out a career in medical research.
VA Opposes Law Loosening Benefit Requirements for MST Survivors
WASHINGTON—New legislation would make it easier for victims of military sexual trauma to receive benefits, but the VA is opposing it. Among other provisions, the bill would lower the burden of proof necessary for MST survivors to prove service connection, allow...
Mental Health Treatment Alone Won’t Stem Veteran Suicides
Joint House VA, Military Subcommittee Hearing Tackles Issue WASHINGTON—In a rare joint hearing by the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel and VA Subcommittee on Health, legislators examined how DoD and VA are working to address the increase in...
Legislators Express Outrage Over Military Sexual Trauma Issues Subhead: Senator Describes Her Experience as Air Force Rape Victim
WASHINGTON—A recent survey of the military service academies found that sexual assault has spiked over the last two years, up 50% since 2016. This news sparked fresh outrage from legislators, resulting in a hearing focusing on how military sexual trauma is dealt with...
For Memory Issues, It’s Not So Much the Concussion as the Blast
BOSTON—Many more servicemembers might have been injured by blasts in Iraq and Afghanistan than previously reported.
