Prevention of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder among Military Health Care Workers: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Studies indicate that Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is not uncommon among medical personnel serving in the military and that its prevention remains a significant challenge. While extensive PTSD research findings exist that are generalizable to the military dedicated research specific to its at-risk population of medical workers is less common. The purpose of this review is to perform a systematic search for the most effective strategies in the prevention of PTSD and consider their applicability to the military healthcare provider. Comprehensive electronic search was performed utilizing MEDLINE, Cochrane Database PubMed, CINAHL (EBSCO), Health and Wellness Resource Center, Nursing and Allied Health Source, Applied Social Sciences Index (CSA), PsycARTICLES (APA), and PAIS International (CSA). Significant variation exists among PTSD preventive strategies in effectiveness and in applicability to military healthcare workers. Strategies such as multiple early interventions, psychological debriefing, pre-deployment training and psychoeducation lack current evidence for efficacy in the prevention of PTSD. PTSD preventive strategies should favor therapy that identifies the traumatic event, with long-term outpatient therapy more effective than short-term inpatient. Vigorous physical exercise and unit cohesion are significantly associated with decreased odds of PTSD symptom development among military personnel. Awareness of significant risk factors may improve preventive outcomes by enabling earlier intervention, and insights on resiliency may further optimize effective PTSD preventive strategies. Modified Prolonged Exposure (PE) therapy may be an effective and practical early intervention with expanded applicability to military operation settings.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2012
Accession Number
ADA559718

Entities

People

  • Christopher A. Alfonzo
  • Christopher A. Orsello

Organizations

  • Naval Aerospace Medical Institute

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Engineered Resilient Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Active Duty
  • Anxiety Disorders
  • Diseases And Disorders
  • Health Care
  • Health Services
  • Medical Personnel
  • Mental Health
  • Military Medicine
  • Military Operations
  • Military Personnel
  • Military Science
  • Psychology
  • Risk Factors
  • Social Sciences
  • Training
  • Traumatic Stress Disorder
  • Warfare

Fields of Study

  • Medicine

Readers

  • Mental Health of Military Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Risk Factors, Prevalence, Symptoms, and Treatment.
  • Psychological Intervention/Treatment for Stress, Anxiety, PTSD, and Related Emotional and Cognitive Health Symptoms.
  • Systems Analysis and Design

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics