About the Military Mental Health Initiative

This Initiative started in 2009 to determine the state of mental health generally and mental health services within and following military service. The Initiative has three main projects: Medic Mettle and Solider Resilience, Understanding and Preventing the Continual Military Mental Health Crisis in War, and Health and Mental Health of Military Veterans.

medic mettle and solider resilience

This project is a study of combat medics perspectives on their own resilience and that of the soldiers they care for in combat. This sub-initiative was funded by the Department of Defense (DoD) to study combat medics and determine their perspectives and practices of combat stress resilience.

Publications:

  • Figley, C. R., Pitts, B. L., Chapman, P. & Elnitsky, C. (2015). Female Combat Medics, 134-146. In E.C. Ritchie and A. Naclerio (Eds). Women at War: Medical and Psychological Issues. NY: Oxford University Press.
  • Chapman, P. L., Elnitsky, C., Pitts, B. L, Figley, C. R., Thurman, R. M., & Unwin, B. (2014). Mental health, help seeking, and stigma and barriers to care among 3-and 12-month post-deployed and never deployed US Army combat medics. Military Medicine, 179:8S, 55-62.
  • Chapman, P. L., Elnitsky, C., Thurman, R. M., Pitts, B. L, Figley, C. R., & Unwin, B. (2014). Posttraumatic stress, depression, stigma, and barriers to care among US Army healthcare providers. Traumatology, 20, 19-23.
  • Everson, R. B., Herzog, J. R., Figley, C. R. & Whitworth, J. D. (2014). A Model for Assessing the Impact of Combat-Related Deployments on US Army Spouses. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment. 24:4, 422-437.
  • Pitts, B. L.; Chapman, P. L.; Safer, M.A; Unwin, B.; Figley, C. R.; Russell, D. W. (2013). Killing versus witnessing trauma: Implications for the development of PTSD in combat medics. Military Psychology, 25:6, 537-544.
  • Elnitsky, C., Chapman, P. L., Thurman, R. M., Pitts, B. L., Figley, C. R., & Unwin, B. K. (2013). Gender differences in combat medic mental health services barriers and stigma. Military Medicine, 179: 7, 775-784.
  • Chapman, P. L., Cabrera, D., Varela-Mayer, C. Bakr, M., Elnitsky, C., Pitts, B. L., Figley, C. R., Thurman, R. M., Chli-Dean, L., Mayer, P. (2012). Training, deployment preparation, and combat experiences of deployed health care personnel: key findings from deployed U.S. Army combat medics assigned to line units. Military Medicine, 177(3), 270-277.
  • Chapman, P. L., Baker, M. Cabrera, D., Varela-Mayer, C., Elnitsky, C., Figley, C., Thurman, R. M. Mayer, P. (2012). Mental Health and Stigma and Barriers to Care: Key Findings from U.S. Army Combat Medics Deployed with Line Units. Military Medicine, 177:3, 270-277.

Understanding and preventing the continual military mental health crisis in war

This sub-initiative seeks to study all relevant documents (published and unpublished) including those that must be requested (Freedom of Information Act request).

Publications:

  • Russell, M.C., Schaubel, S., & Figley, C.R. (2018b). The Darker Side of Military Mental Healthcare, Part Three: Five Deadly Strategies to Manage its Mental Health Dilemma. Psychological Injury and Law, 11:1, 69-104.
  • Russell, M. C., Schaubel, S., & Figley, C. R. (2018a). The Darker Side of Military Mental Healthcare, Part Two: Five Deadly Strategies to Manage its Mental Health Dilemma. Psychological Injury and Law, 11:1, 37-68.
  • Russell, M. C., Schaubel, S., & Figley, C. R. (2018). The Darker Side of Military Mental Healthcare, Part One: Understanding the Military’s Mental Health Dilemma. Psychological Injury and Law, 11:1, 22-36.
  • Russell, M. C. & Figley, C. R. (2017). Do the Military’s Frontline Psychiatry/Combat and Operational Stress Control Doctrine Help or Harm Veterans? Part One: Framing the Issue. Psychological Injury and Law. 10:1–23 DOI 10.1007/s12207-016-9278-y. See https://www.researchgate.net/publication/313087231.
  • Russell, M. C. & Figley, C. R. (2017a). Do the Military’s Frontline Psychiatry/Combat Operational Stress Control Programs Benefit Veterans? Part Two: Systematic Review of the Evidence. Psychological Injury and Law. 10: 24-71. See: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/313555132.
  • Russell, M. C. & Figley, C. R. (2017b). Is the Military’s Century-old Frontline Psychiatry Policy Harmful to Veterans and their Families?  Part Three of a Systematic Review. Psychological Injury and Law. 10: 72-95. DOI 10.1007/s12207-016-9280-4. See https://www.researchgate.net/publication/313418200
  • Russell, M. C., Zinn, B. & Figley (2016). Exploring Options Including Class Action to Transform Military Mental Healthcare and End the Generational Cycle of Preventable Wartime Behavioral Health Crises. Psychological Injury and Law, 9:2, 166-197.
  • Russell, M. C., Butkus, S., & Figley, C. R. (2016a). Is it time for a Behavioral Health Corps? Ending the Generational Cycle of Preventable Wartime Mental Health Crises-Part 2. Psychological Injury and Law, 9:1, 73-86.
  • Russell, M. C., Butkus, S., & Figley, C. R. (2016). Contribution of Military Organization and Leadership Factors in Perpetuating Generational Cycle of Preventable Wartime Mental Health Crises: Part One. Psychological Injury and Law, 8:4, 265-356.
  • Russell, M. C. & Figley, C. R. (2014). Overview of the Affordable Care Act's Impact on Military and Veteran Mental Health Services: Nine Implications for Significant Improvements in Care. Journal of Social Work in Disability & Rehabilitation. 13: 1-2, 162-196.
  • In Press:
    • Russell, M. C. & Figley, C. R. (2018, in press). Uphill Battle: Military Mental Health Under Assault. NY: Columbia University Press.
    • Figley, C. R. Yarvis, Y. & Thyer, B. (in preparation). Combat Social Work. NY: Oxford University Press.

Health and mental health of military veterans 

This is another study funded by the DoD to understand the mental health consequences of serving in war and focuses on a sample of patients within a large rural health care system who agreed to be part of the study and give access to their medical records in addition to completing surveys and interviews. 

Publications:

  • Adams, R. E., Urosevich, T. H., Hoffman, S. N., Kirchner, H. L., Hyacinthe, J. C., Figley, C. R., & Boscarino, J. A. (2017). Social support, coping resources, mental health problems, and treatment seeking among veterans in non-VA facilities: Results from the Veterans’ Health Study.  Military Behavioral Health, 5(4): 393–405. See https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317122913.
  • Boscarino J, Hoffman S, Urosevich T, Kirchner HL, Hyacinthe J, Adams R, Figley CR (2017). Alcohol misuse among formerly deployed U.S. service members seen in non-VA facilities: results from the veterans' cohort study. Journal of Patient-Centered Research Review, 4:189. See: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5663244/.
  • Russell, M. C., Zinn, B. & Figley (2016). Exploring Options Including Class Action to Transform Military Mental Healthcare and End the Generational Cycle of Preventable Wartime Behavioral Health Crises. Psychological Injury and Law, 9:2, 166-197.
  • Russell, M. C., Butkus, S., & Figley, C. R. (2016). Is it time for a Behavioral Health Corps? Ending the Generational Cycle of Preventable Wartime Mental Health Crises-Part 2. Psychological Injury and Law, 9:1, 73-86.
  • Russell, M. C., Butkus, S., & Figley, C. R. (2016). Contribution of Military Organization and Leadership Factors in Perpetuating Generational Cycle of Preventable Wartime Mental Health Crises: Part One. Psychological Injury and Law, 8:4, 265-356
  • Russell, M.C. & Figley, C.R. (2015a). Investigating Recurrent Generational Wartime Behavioral Health Crises: Part Two of a Preliminary Analysis. Psychological Injury and Law, 8:2, 132-152.
  • Russell, M.C. & Figley, C.R. (2015b). Generational Wartime Behavioral Health Crises: Part One of a Preliminary Analysis. Psychological Injury and Law, 8:2, 106-131. 
  • Russell, M.C., Figley, C. R. & Robertson, K. R. (2015). Investigating the Psychiatric Lessons of War and Pattern of Preventable Wartime Behavioral Health Crises. Journal of Psychology and Behavioral Science, 3:1, 1-12.
  • Figley, C. R., Albright, D., & Figley, K. R. (2010). Combat, Combat Stress Injuries, and Shame. In J. Kauffman (Ed.), The Shame of Death. NY: Routledge.
  • In Preparation:
    • Figley, C. R., Boscarino, J. A., Hoffman, S. N., Urosevich, T. G., Kirchner, H. L., Hyacinethe M. S. (2017). Is living in Rural Areas a Risk Factor for Veterans' Mental Health Status?
    • Figley, C. R., Adams, R. E., Urosevich, T. G., Hoffman, S. N., Kirchner, H. L., Hyacinthe J. C., Boscarino J. J., Boscarino, J. A. (2017, in preparation). Female Military Veterans’ Risk and Protective Factors in Predicting Overall Functioning: A Biomedical Sample of Outpatients from Geisinger Clinic.

Terms of Use Privacy Disclaimer

Site photos courtesy of John McCusker