Buddy-to-Buddy, a citizen soldier peer support program to counteract stigma, PTSD, depression, and suicide

Citizen soldiers (National Guard and Reserves) represent approximately 40% of the two million armed forces deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq. Twenty-five to forty percent of them develop PTSD, clinical depression, sleep disturbances, or suicidal thoughts. Upon returning home, many encounter additional stresses and hurdles to obtaining care: specifically, many civilian communities lack military medical/psychiatric facilities; financial, job, home, and relationship stresses have evolved or have been exacerbated during deployment; uncertainty has increased related to future deployment; there is loss of contact with military peers; and there is reluctance to recognize and acknowledge mental health needs that interfere with treatment entry and adherence. Approximately half of those needing help are not receiving it. To address this constellation of issues, a private–public partnership was formed under the auspices of the Welcome Back Veterans Initiative. In Michigan, the Army National Guard teamed with the University of Michigan and Michigan State University to develop innovative peer-to-peer programs for soldiers (Buddy-to-Buddy) and augmented programs for military families. Goals are to improve treatment entry, adherence, clinical outcomes, and to reduce suicides. This manuscript describes training approaches, preliminary results, and explores future national dissemination.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/79148/1/j.1749-6632.2010.05719.x.pd

Couples Coping Through Deployment: Findings From a Sample of National Guard Families

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/140037/1/jclp22487.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/140037/2/jclp22487_am.pd

Reported Barriers to Mental Health Care in Three Samples of U.S. Army National Guard Soldiers at Three Time Points

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/108379/1/jts21942.pd

Common factors across theories of marriage and family therapy: A modified Delphi study

The Delphi methodology was used to explore common factors across theories of marriage and family therapy (MFT). The goal was to generate a list of items that experts in the MFT field endorsed as common factors. Three open ended questions were posed in Delphi I to the group of invited panelists. Delphi II asked panelists to rank items generated from Delphi I on a seven-point Likert scale. A final profile of items was created from the responses to Delphi II by including or eliminating items on the basis of median scores and interquartile ranges. Six of the panelists participated in qualitative interviews to clarify discrepancies that existed in responses. Panelists believed client motivation and self-agency were important, but overall client contributions as common factors in MFT theories were minimized. The panelists viewed the therapeutic relationship as an important component MFT theories, but they believed that MFT theories did not emphasize a collaborative therapeutic relationship. Relational conceptualization of problems as well as cognitive and behavioral strategies were seen to be important components of MFT theories. No items related to affective experiencing made the final profile. The panelists viewed placebo, hope, and expectancy factors as important components of MFT theories. Direction for future research as well as implications for the training and practice of MFTs are discussed

Intimate Relationships Buffer Suicidality in National Guard Service Members: A Longitudinal Study

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/152611/1/sltb12537.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/152611/2/sltb12537_am.pd

Meeting the Needs of National Guard and Reserve Families: The Vital Role of Extension

National Guard and Reserve soldiers and their families face unique challenges related to deployment and reintegration. This article considers the distinct role Extension can play in supporting these families and their communities. Using Michigan as a case example, the study employed representative data from the State of the State Survey to explore residents\u27 perceptions of the family-related issues and post-deployment needs of Michigan National Guard and Reserve soldiers and their families. Findings suggest that Extension can assist National Guard and Reserve families by preparing communities to respond to deployment, providing direct supports to families, and providing information to policy makers