摘要 :
The rate of military suicides has been increasing in recent years. In 2010 the most recent year for which we have epidemiologic data there were 301 suicide deaths among service members on active duty, equating to a rate of 18.0 su...
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The rate of military suicides has been increasing in recent years. In 2010 the most recent year for which we have epidemiologic data there were 301 suicide deaths among service members on active duty, equating to a rate of 18.0 suicides per 100,000 service members (Luxton et al., 2012). The increase in suicide within the Department of Defense (DoD), and more specifically among the Army and Marine Corps, has generated concern among policymakers, military leaders, and the public at large. This concern is evidenced by the creation in 2010 of a congressionally directed task force (Department of Defense Task Force on the Prevention of Suicide by Members of the Armed Foces, 2010), a new DoD office (the Department of Defense Suicide Prevention Office) focused specifically on suicide prevention, the Army s allocation of $50 million to study suicide within its ranks ( NIMH, U.S. Army Sign MOA to Conduct Groundbreaking Suicide Research, 2008), and increased media scrutiny (Edwards-Stewart et al., 2011). Each service has implemented policies and programs focused on preventing suicide within the ranks. These suicide prevention programs rely heavily on trainings for service members and their leadership that aim to train service members on how to identify individuals who may be at risk of suicide, provide immediate support, and refer them to an appropriate individual who is able to offer help. In both the Army and Marine Corps, the service members responsible for identifying and referring at-risk individuals ( gatekeepers ) are typically noncommissioned officers (NCOs) and members of the chaplaincy (including chaplains and chaplain assistants in the Army and chaplains and religious program specialists in the Navy that serve marines) (Ramchand et al., 2011).
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摘要 :
Evaluations are critical for assessing the impact of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) investments in suicide prevention and can be used as the basis for decisions about whether to sustain or scale up existing efforts. The Defense ...
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Evaluations are critical for assessing the impact of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) investments in suicide prevention and can be used as the basis for decisions about whether to sustain or scale up existing efforts. The Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury asked the RAND Corporation to draw from the scientific literature and create a toolkit to guide future evaluations of DoD-sponsored suicide prevention programs (SPPs). The overall goal of the toolkit is to help those responsible for SPPs determine whether their programs produce beneficial effects and, ultimately, to guide the responsible allocation of scarce resources. This report summarizes the three complementary methods used to develop the RAND Suicide Prevention Program Evaluation Toolkit; it is meant to serve as a companion to the toolkit itself and to provide additional background for those who are interested in learning about the toolkit's development.
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The United States has been at war longer than any time in its history. While thousands have been wounded in these conflicts, advances in battlefield medicine mean many of our troops survive catastrophic wounds. The nature of many ...
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The United States has been at war longer than any time in its history. While thousands have been wounded in these conflicts, advances in battlefield medicine mean many of our troops survive catastrophic wounds. The nature of many of their wounds, however, means some require long-term caregiving support. The Elizabeth Dole Foundation commissioned RAND Corp to assess the needs of military caregivers, scan the services available to them, and identify how their needs are -- and are not -- being met. This report reviews existing research on the needs of caregivers in general, and assesses how lessons learned can be applied to military caregivers. We also present information gleaned from military caregivers themselves and from policymakers and program officials who either directly support, or advocate on behalf of, military caregivers. We provide a snapshot of the number and characteristics of military caregivers, the roles they serve, the physical and emotional impact caregiving has on their lives, and the resources available to them. Military caregivers tend to be younger women with dependent-age children, dealing with a different set of patient variables than the general caregiver population. Along with typical caregiver responsibilities, military caregivers also act as case managers navigating multiple health systems, advocates for new treatment, and financial and legal representatives. Many are also raising children and holding jobs outside the home. Studies indicate that caregivers in general suffer from physical strain and overall worse health and tend to put their own concerns behind those of the individuals for whom they are caring. Military caregivers suffer disproportionately from mental health problems and emotional distress. Many government programs are still in their infancy, and community resources are scattered and uncoordinated. Difficulties are presented by differing eligibility criteria, lack of access, and the way caregivers' needs change over time.
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