New Book Provides Resilience, Mental Health Resources

From a Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences News Release

BETHESDA, Md., Sept. 23, 2013 – The Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences here has just published a new book titled, “Disaster, Disease and Distress: Resources to Promote Psychological Health and Resilience in Military and Civilian Communities.”

Available for free download on the center’s website, the book is a compilation of fact sheets and educational resources developed over a 10-year period that address important health and mental health issues of service members and their families impacted by deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, officials said.

The resources are geared toward civilian communities around the globe affected by natural and human-made disasters, such as hurricanes, earthquakes and incidents of community violence, officials added.

Experts in the fields of military and disaster psychiatry developed the fact sheets, many in the immediate aftermath of specific incidents, officials said, and many address health and mental health issues related to the risks of suicide.

The book features four sections:
-- Caring for our Nation’s Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines: The Role of Medical and Social Service Providers;
-- Military Family Health;
-- Disaster Preparedness and Response; and
-- Special Populations.

Dr. Robert J. Ursano, director of the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, said officials hope the book will have enduring value.

“Because many of the signature wounds of war -- visible and invisible -- persist and will affect individuals and families over time, and because natural disasters and public health threats endure, we believe these fact sheets will be useful and valuable to many audiences in the public and private sector for many years to come,” he said.