DCoE Blog

• Concussion and Winter Sports

  Posted by Nina Corin, DCoE Public Affairs on February 25, 2016

  

  Young ice hockey players may reduce the severity of a head impact when they are able to anticipate a collision, according to research presented during a webinar hosted by the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE) earlier this month.

  Anticipation seems to play a role in the frequency as well as the magnitude of impacts sustained by young hockey players and football players, said Mihalik, co-director of the Matthew A. Gfeller Sport-Related Traumatic Brain Injury Research Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Even if an athlete can’t avoid an impact, bracing for one seems to lessen the severity of the impact, he said. To reduce damage from concussions, doctors and coaches need to train players to see them coming.

  “The idea from a preventative standpoint is how can we enhance visual function? How can we teach athletes to anticipate those collisions a little bit better?” Mihalik asked. Athletes need to be able to distinguish moving objects from those that aren't, and to be able to scan and interpret what they see in front of them and peripherally, he said.

  Categories: DCoE Webinar Rewind, Traumatic Brain Injury, Providers   |   Comments (0)

• Clinician’s Corner: Journal Highlights Health Needs of Women in Combat

  Posted by Kate McGraw, Ph.D., Deputy Director of the Deployment Health Clinical Center on February 23, 2016

  

  We are living in a time of great change. Change offers us many opportunities for positive growth. At the same time, change may create unanswerable questions, generate heated discussions or even produce anxiety in those impacted most by the change.

  Military Integration Changes

  The Defense Department has seen a number of significant changes related to structure and mission. Notably, in 2013, the secretary of defense rescinded the 1994 Direct Combat Definition and Assignment Rule, which had previously closed many combat-related military occupational specialties to female service members. This decision raised questions about the best ways to integrate women into these positions and focused attention on the physical and psychological health needs of all military females.

  In the spring of 2014, the Consortium for Health and Military Performance (CHAMP) and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs hosted the Women in Combat Symposium. More than 90 policy makers, researchers and service members from across the Defense Department examined women-in-combat issues related to fitness and health, operational, environmental, community and cultural factors. DCoE helped shape the symposium’s content and dialogue. My colleagues and I facilitated group discussions about the psychological health needs, resilience, and overall well-being of women in combat positions.

  Categories: Women, Clinician’s Corner, Families, DCoE, Substance Misuse Treatment, Psychological Health, Military Children   |   Comments (0)

• National Salute to Veterans Week: Share Appreciation on Social Media

  Posted by Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center on February 17, 2016

  

  In the eyes of our military community, a simple “thank you” goes a long way. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) kicks off their annual National Salute to Veteran Patients during the week of February 14, offering you an opportunity to honor our nation’s heroes. The week recognizes the more than 98,000 veterans of the U.S. armed services that are cared for every day in VA medical centers, outpatient clinics, residences and nursing homes. The goals of the program are to:

  • Pay tribute and expresses appreciation to veterans
  • Increase community awareness of the role of VA medical centers
  • Encourage citizens to visit hospitalized veterans
  • Ask citizens to get involved as volunteers

  Categories: Traumatic Brain Injury, Community Support   |   Comments (2)

• Lack of Daylight May Cause Winter Depression

  Posted by DCoE Public Affairs from Military Health System Communications Office on February 16, 2016

  
  U.S. Army photo

  Winter blues can be a serious challenge to psychological health, especially if you’re sensitive to light. In this post on seasonal affective disorder from health.mil, the Military Health System talks with Cmdr. David Barry of the Deployment Health Clinical Center. Also check out the interview with Barry on feeling down after the holidays.

  As days get shorter and colder and daylight becomes more fleeting during the winter months, many people experience a darkness of their own. The lack of sunlight can have a profound effect on people’s moods and psyches, leading to a form of depression known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

  Categories: DCoE, Depression, Psychological Health   |   Comments (0)

• Military Youth Can Use Tech to Improve Mental Health Literacy, Coping Skills

  Posted by Carol Roos, DCoE Public Affairs on February 12, 2016

  

  Frequent transitions, parental separations and the cumulative effects of multiple deployments can negatively impact military youth, research shows. Military youth are generally resilient, but many are coping with increased levels of anxiety, stress, depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation and behavioral problems.

  “We all have to learn how to teach military youth coping skills, how to recognize signs of psychological distress and how to get help,” psychologist Kelly Blasko of the National Center for Telehealth and Technology (T2) said in a webinar sponsored by the Defense Health Agency. Blasko led focus groups whose feedback helped T2 create a website for military kids called Military Kids Connect (MKC).

  Categories: DCoE Products, DCoE, Psychological Health, Military Children   |   Comments (0)

• Military Comic Author Talks About New Book, How it Helps Vets

  Posted by Terry Welch, DVBIC Public Affairs on February 10, 2016

  

  Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury. The “Terminal Lance” series does contain foul language; adult discretion advised.

  Former Marine Maximilian Uriarte began self-publishing his irreverent and often not-safe-for-work online comic strip on life in the Marine Corps infantry, “Terminal Lance,” in 2010. Uriarte’s sharp wit strikes a chord with service members of every branch by highlighting the trials, idiosyncrasies and absurdities of military life.

  Categories: Suicide, Personal Stories, PTSD, Depression   |   Comments (2)