Litigation

APA to Address Congress on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Following Brain Injury

By Michael Kaplen

A study published in the Jan. 30, 2008 New England Journal of Medicine found that mild head injuries sustained by soldiers in Iraq are the cause of a variety of neurological deficits and are a major factor in stress-related disorders.

As the number and duration of military deployments increase, so do the behavioral health needs of service members and their families. To better meet the demand for deployment-related mental health care for service members and their families, the Center for Deployment Psychology (CDP), a Department of Defense training consortium, has been established. The CDP, spearheaded by the American Psychological Association, is a tri-service center funded by Congress to train military and civilian psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers and other behavioral health professionals to provide high quality deployment-related behavioral health services to military personnel and their families.

On Wednesday, Feb. 13, 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. in Room HC-8 of the U.S. Capital, a panel of military and mental health experts sponsored by the American Psychological Association will address the impact of trauma facing the returning soldier and its effect on family members. The experts will also discuss the need for training military and civilian psychologists and other health professionals on the latest treatment approaches to help wounded soldiers deal with post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury or issues in readjusting to civilian life following deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan.

Full post as published by Brain Injury News and Information on February 11, 2008 (boomark / email).