Posted on Apr 23, 2015
Since civilian docs don't understand us, what would you want to make sure these docs know about military culture?
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MAJ (Join to see), take a look at the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE), http://www.dcoe.mil/blog/15-01-29/Military_Doctors_Help_Civilian_Therapists_Understand_Service_Culture.aspx
The APA put together a brief on clinical implications for civilian/VA providers:
http://www.apa.org/about/gr/issues/military/military-culture.pdf
RP had a discussion on it: https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/rand-civilian-mental-health-providers-don-t-get-the-military?page=2&urlhash=338522#338522
The APA put together a brief on clinical implications for civilian/VA providers:
http://www.apa.org/about/gr/issues/military/military-culture.pdf
RP had a discussion on it: https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/rand-civilian-mental-health-providers-don-t-get-the-military?page=2&urlhash=338522#338522
Military Doctors Help Civilian Therapists Understand Service Culture
The military is a distinctive culture. Understanding this culture is critical for effective mental health care services and outcomes. Civilian psychological health providers have an unfamiliar new clientele: service members, and their families, who are coming home after a decade of war. Although...
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MAJ (Join to see)
Thank you! I know there has been some work done all this already. We started with using the ANA information but wanted to make sure we were catching everything we could that may have been missed as well. I'll take a look at the links. Thanks much!
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MAJ (Join to see) I have some specific ideas and a unique perspective on this issue. I will try to hit you up on the global today. If you haven't heard from me by COB today, please ping me there so I don't forget about it over the weekend.
The biggest one that I'll offer here, and I'll be imprecise because I need to get out of the door, is the "macho"/"Can Do"/Don't show weakness culture of the military makes it very difficult for many Vets to understand/acknowledge that they have an issue. It also makes many of the worst sufferers tend to under endorse symptoms. At the same time, it also undermines any support networks the Vet might have, as does the transitory nature of relationships most military personnel have, due to the constant moving of yourself and others.
The military has been trying to fix these issues over the last decade or so, and has been successful as it has been, but whatever that level of success is, it is well below 100%.
The biggest one that I'll offer here, and I'll be imprecise because I need to get out of the door, is the "macho"/"Can Do"/Don't show weakness culture of the military makes it very difficult for many Vets to understand/acknowledge that they have an issue. It also makes many of the worst sufferers tend to under endorse symptoms. At the same time, it also undermines any support networks the Vet might have, as does the transitory nature of relationships most military personnel have, due to the constant moving of yourself and others.
The military has been trying to fix these issues over the last decade or so, and has been successful as it has been, but whatever that level of success is, it is well below 100%.
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MAJ (Join to see), just my 2 cents, but I think the statement that "civilian docs don't understand us" is a bit too broad. Yes, they don't understand our perspective on certain things and possibly some of the situations we deal with that the average civilian doesn't, but some, and I mean a small some, of them do understand us better than you think. I had botched surgery from military doctors and was put back together again - physically and mentally by my primary care physician and the specialists he recommended. Granted this is probably not a common occurrence.
I've been with my current psychologist almost 10 years and she has proved herself time and again by finding a way to relate military based issues to civilian equivalents. Even though I retired in 2009 she knows that I still relate a lot to my former career and has found ways to keep that part of my life relevant to issues post-military that I see her for.
Its all in the approach and the willingness of health care providers to reach out to us.
I've been with my current psychologist almost 10 years and she has proved herself time and again by finding a way to relate military based issues to civilian equivalents. Even though I retired in 2009 she knows that I still relate a lot to my former career and has found ways to keep that part of my life relevant to issues post-military that I see her for.
Its all in the approach and the willingness of health care providers to reach out to us.
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MAJ (Join to see)
I agree, unfortunately the title only allowed 140 characters and I couldn't get my full point and question out.
So in our Commission, which is made up of Vet organizations, civilian docs, hospital reps, behavioral health reps and Vets themselves, we realized that providers were actually looking for education. Which in itself makes me happy that they want to know more about the Veteran population. Questions went out to health providers and asked what they wanted more information about and they overwhelming stated they felt they didn't understand how to speak to us/listen to us, and more so that they didn't know how best to serve us (like what resources are available to us).
I am glad you found great care both physically and mentally; finding both sometimes can be a challenge. To your point, I agree that its about how much the provider also wants to put themselves out there, so we want to be there for those that do.
So in our Commission, which is made up of Vet organizations, civilian docs, hospital reps, behavioral health reps and Vets themselves, we realized that providers were actually looking for education. Which in itself makes me happy that they want to know more about the Veteran population. Questions went out to health providers and asked what they wanted more information about and they overwhelming stated they felt they didn't understand how to speak to us/listen to us, and more so that they didn't know how best to serve us (like what resources are available to us).
I am glad you found great care both physically and mentally; finding both sometimes can be a challenge. To your point, I agree that its about how much the provider also wants to put themselves out there, so we want to be there for those that do.
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MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca
That's a great thing MAJ (Join to see) that they are reaching out to better understand us!! We can be a difficult group to understand especially from a psychological point of view.
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