CLINICAL TREATMENT STUDIES

BACKGROUND

Service members are at increased risk for the development of certain psychological conditions, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), alcohol use disorder, insomnia, and major depressive disorder. These conditions often have profound negative effects on well-being, performance, and quality of life. To assist service members with mental health conditions, researchers from our Health and Behavioral Sciences team evaluate the effectiveness of existing treatments and develop and test innovative treatments for mental health conditions. In addition to traditional therapies, the team evaluates the immediate and longer term benefits of activity-based interventions (e.g., surfing, hiking) for service members.

VALUE

Health and Behavioral Sciences researchers support the health and readiness of U.S. service members by developing novel therapeutic approaches and by rigorously evaluating the benefits of both new and existing approaches to treating service members with mental health conditions. Additional research in this area provides evidence-based mental health training to providers and evaluates impact on patient outcomes.

GOALS

Developing treatments tailored to the unique needs of military personnel with mental health conditions
Assessing the effectiveness of novel and existing treatments for reducing mental health symptoms among service members
Determining the benefits of activity-based interventions for service members’ mental and emotional health
Disseminating evidence-based psychological treatments and interventions across all services

CAPABILITIES

Extensive knowledge and experience working with military and veteran populations with trauma-related disorders
Clinical expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions
Strong record of successfully conducting clinical trials to evaluate therapeutic outcomes within military and veteran populations

CURRENT RESEARCH

Developed an integrative therapy specifically designed for service members with comorbid PTSD and depression; conducted a randomized clinical trial comparing the effectiveness of the integrative therapy versus standard treatment
Conducted a randomized clinical trial comparing the effects on depression and related symptoms following two activity-based programs (surfing, hiking) offered to service members at Naval Medical Center San Diego
Studies offering health care providers training in an evidence-based suicide prevention intervention for use with individuals at high risk of suicide (e.g., those who recently attempted suicide) and evaluating the impact of the training on (a) providers’ comfort and skill in working with suicidal patients, and (b) patients’ clinical outcomes (e.g., subsequent suicide attempts)

Bureau of Medicine and Surgery
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General Navy Medical Inquiries (to Bureau of Medicine and Surgery): usn.ncr.bumedfchva.list.bumed---pao@health.mil