Psychiatric and mental health nurses in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps employing groundbreaking protocols and treatments in psychiatric issues to address the unique challenges that our service men and women face, [1] more commonly post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries. [2] Most people understand that trauma exposure is a popular occupational hazard for military members. Psychiatric screenings, before and during their enlistment, and treatments after being exposed to warfare, death, destruction, and torture have been extremely beneficial for military personnel and their dependents. [3]
Psychiatric and mental health nurses treat individuals diagnosed with conditions like schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, and depression. They are also trained in behavioral therapy which allows these nurses to teach patients and their loved ones how to deal with, react to, and overcome challenges that go along with different psychiatric disorders. Nurses in the psychiatric and mental health field can assess, examine, and treat patients with mental illness. [4] Nurses with proper training are able to identify and understand the needs and help-seeking behaviors of military members and, with military cultural competence and knowledge about stress injuries, including psychological damage, they are able to deliver patient-centered care to patients with military culture experiences. [5]
In the U.S. Army, the case diversity nurses experience in caring for Soldiers and their families far exceeds the medical care environment of the private sector. Army Nurse Corps officers have access to the most sophisticated and up-to-date technology, the opportunity to consult with experts in both the military and private sector, plus exceptional professional growth opportunities, which may include but are not limited to paid continuing education, clinical specialization, and residencies. [1]
The Army Reserve Nurse Corps begins with the Army Medical Department Basic Officer Leaders Course (BOLC), a three-week program that will expose nurses to the variety of mental and physical challenges they will face as a member of the United States Army's health care team. Candidates learn about the Army's approach to health care firsthand, train with other professionals, and attending lectures, conferences, and demonstrations that cover everything from U.S. Army customs to crisis management. Some candidates even have the opportunity to participate in a hands-on medical simulation of an in-theater field medical unit.
After completing BOLC, nurses will then begin serving with a Reserve unit a minimum of two days each month, and participate in annual training for at least two weeks each year. During this time, duties may include attending professional seminars and military or nursing education courses provided by the U.S. Army as well as the opportunity to work in a wide range of health care environments, whether it be in a modern hospital, working with skilled professionals in a variety of clinical situations or supervising paraprofessionals in a field medical unit. [1]
The Walter Reed National Military Medical Cente r, formerly known as the Walter Reed Army Medical Center and was open from May 1909 to August 2011 then realigned with the National Naval Medical Center, is located in Washington, D.C. and serves more than 150,000 active and retired military personnel from all branches, admitting 16,000 patients a year. As a provider of specialized care and a referral center for the North Atlantic Regional Medical Command, WRNMMC offers a broad range of clinical and educational opportunities as well as focusing on integrated patient care, teaching, and research opportunities. [7]
Early research began in the 1950s with the electrophysiology of neurons in the visual system provided the groundwork for Dr. David Hubel's 1981 Nobel Prize in Medicine. This standard of excellence has been kept with years of research innovations leading to over multiple patents for scientific contributions and numerous publications in high-impact journals such as Science, Nature, the New England Journal of Medicine, and the Journal of the American Medical Association. [8]
The United States Army Medical Research Unit - Europe (USAMRU-E), a subordinate command of the Walter Reed National Military Center, is currently located in Heidelberg, Germany. USAMRU-E conducts applied psychological research to protect, optimize, and enhance psychological resilience for military members while also studying factors that can impact current stressors on the unit as well as the individual and their family. USAMRU-E focuses on command-directed behavioral health assessments and the development and validation of resilience training for the deployment cycle and the professional military education system. At USAMRU-E, individuals are exposed to a wide range of stressors that can negatively impact their behavioral health and well-being. Approximately 20% of those exposed report significant behavioral health problems upon returning from a combat deployment. [9]
The National Capital Consortium (NCC) Psychiatry Residency Program, which began in 1996, is unique and innovative graduate medical education program in psychiatry for military medical professionals. For over sixty years, neuropsychiatry investigators at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research have worked to understand, prevent, and treat the poorly understood and untreated threats to military members health and performance that is just "in their head." [8] Three military medical institutions, WRNMMC, Fort Belvoir Community Hospital (FBCH), and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS), are involved with this integrated psychiatry residency program while keeping the tradition of excellence in graduate medical education alive. NCC psychiatry residents consistently score among the highest in the nation on standard training examinations and a large number of graduates have gone on to become national and world leaders in psychiatry. [10]
The National Capital Military Psychiatry Residency is a four-year program designed to prepare military physicians and nurses for the practice of general psychiatry in the military and in community settings upon discharge from the military. The program's mission is to train military physicians and nurses to become effective psychiatrists and psychiatric nurses in the variety of future roles they will fill, from military medical operations to multi-disciplinary mental health settings to primary care and other medical-surgical settings. Those who enroll in the psychiatric residency program apply their techniques of social science and psychiatric research to understand and address the many global and day-to-day pressures of military life affecting "mental health" and "psychological resilience." Military psychiatry, psychotherapy, and psychopharmacology are particularly strong areas of emphasis of the program. Faculty members include nationally known leaders in a number of areas of psychiatry, including psychopharmacology, psychoanalysis, neuropsychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, consultation-liaison psychiatry, and military psychiatry. [10] [11]
Combined residency training opportunities are also offered by the program. Army residents may apply for a 3+2 child psychiatry fellowship, and if accepted, may complete both general and child and adolescent psychiatry training in a total of five years. There is also a five-year combined internal medicine and psychiatry training program offered by the NCC Psychiatry and Internal Medicine Residency Programs. Graduates of this combined program complete requirements necessary for graduation from both residencies and for board certification in both general psychiatry and internal medicine. They also use traditional methods of individual and small-group interview, standard and specialized psychological tests and surveys, and objective measures such as the rates of suicide, re-enlistment, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), to make wide-ranging assessments of slider and military family health and to recommend changes to organization, training, and leadership. [10] [11]
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in psychiatry. Psychiatrists are physicians who evaluate patients to determine whether their symptoms are the result of a physical illness, a combination of physical and mental ailments or strictly mental issues. Sometimes a psychiatrist works within a multi-disciplinary team, which may comprise clinical psychologists, social workers, occupational therapists, and nursing staff. Psychiatrists have broad training in a biopsychosocial approach to the assessment and management of mental illness.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental and behavioral disorder that develops from experiencing a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, child abuse, domestic violence, or other threats on a person's life or well-being. Symptoms may include disturbing thoughts, feelings, or dreams related to the events, mental or physical distress to trauma-related cues, attempts to avoid trauma-related cues, alterations in the way a person thinks and feels, and an increase in the fight-or-flight response. These symptoms last for more than a month after the event. Young children are less likely to show distress, but instead may express their memories through play. A person with PTSD is at a higher risk of suicide and intentional self-harm.
The Institute of Mental Health (IMH), formerly known as Woodbridge Hospital, is a psychiatric hospital in Hougang, Singapore.
Psychiatric nursing or mental health nursing is the appointed position of a nurse that specialises in mental health, and cares for people of all ages experiencing mental illnesses or distress. These include: neurodevelopmental disorders, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, mood disorders, addiction, anxiety disorders, personality disorders, eating disorders, suicidal thoughts, psychosis, paranoia, and self-harm.
Emergency psychiatry is the clinical application of psychiatry in emergency settings. Conditions requiring psychiatric interventions may include attempted suicide, substance abuse, depression, psychosis, violence or other rapid changes in behavior.
A mental health professional is a health care practitioner or social and human services provider who offers services for the purpose of improving an individual's mental health or to treat mental disorders. This broad category was developed as a name for community personnel who worked in the new community mental health agencies begun in the 1970s to assist individuals moving from state hospitals, to prevent admissions, and to provide support in homes, jobs, education, and community. These individuals were the forefront brigade to develop the community programs, which today may be referred to by names such as supported housing, psychiatric rehabilitation, supported or transitional employment, sheltered workshops, supported education, daily living skills, affirmative industries, dual diagnosis treatment, individual and family psychoeducation, adult day care, foster care, family services and mental health counseling.
In the United States, a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) is an advanced practice registered nurse trained to provide a wide range of mental health services to patients and families in a variety of settings. PMHNPs diagnose, conduct therapy, and prescribe medications for patients who have psychiatric disorders, medical organic brain disorders or substance abuse problems. They are licensed to provide emergency psychiatric services, psychosocial and physical assessments of their patients, treatment plans, and manage patient care. They may also serve as consultants or as educators for families and staff. The PMHNP has a focus on psychiatric diagnosis, including the differential diagnosis of medical disorders with psychiatric symptoms, and on medication treatment for psychiatric disorders.
The Madigan Army Medical Center, located on Joint Base Lewis-McChord just outside Lakewood, Washington, is a key component of the Madigan Healthcare System and one of the largest military hospitals on the West Coast of the United States.
Military psychology is a specialization within psychology that applies psychological science to promote the readiness of military members, organizations, and operations. Military psychologists provide support to the military in many ways, including through direct clinical care, consultation to military commanders, teaching others and supporting military training, and through research relevant to military operations and personnel. Military psychology as a field has been growing since the early 20th century, evidence that the demands and needs for psychological clinical and operational application is continuing to grow steadily. There are many stressors associated with military service, including exposure to high-risk training and combat. As such, psychologists are critical support components that assist military leaders in designing appropriate training programs, providing oversight to those programs, and assisting military members as they navigate the challenges of military training and their new lifestyle. Military psychology covers a wide range of fields throughout the military including operational, tactical, and occupational psychology. Gender differences between military-trained personnel who seek mental health assistance have been extensively studied. Specific examples include post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) associated with combat, or guilt and family/partner difficulties accompanying extended or frequent deployments due to separation. Clinical providers in military psychology are often focused on the treatment of stress, fatigue, and other personal readiness issues. Previous wars such as the Korean war, Vietnam war, and WW 2 provide great insight to the workings and practices of military psychology and how the practices have changed and assisted the military over the years.
The Massachusetts General Hospital Psychiatry Academy is an educational organization for psychiatrists, psychologists, other mental health professionals, and other healthcare professionals who diagnose and treat patients with mental health disorders. It is directly organized and managed by the Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital, which is owned by Mass General Brigham, the largest healthcare provider in Massachusetts.
A psychiatric assessment, or psychological screening, is the process of gathering information about a person within a psychiatric service, with the purpose of making a diagnosis. The assessment is usually the first stage of a treatment process, but psychiatric assessments may also be used for various legal purposes. The assessment includes social and biographical information, direct observations, and data from specific psychological tests. It is typically carried out by a psychiatrist, but it can be a multi-disciplinary process involving nurses, psychologists, occupational therapist, social workers, and licensed professional counselors.
Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of deleterious mental conditions. These include various matters related to mood, behaviour, cognition, perceptions, and emotions.
Kevin Joseph Michael Gournay CBE FMedSci FRCN FRSM FRCPsych (Hon) PhD RN CSci Cert CBT is a registered psychologist, chartered scientist and a registered nurse by background. He is an emeritus professor at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience; King's College London. He was a consultant psychologist at the Priory Hospital North London; retiring in December 2018. He then returned to clinical work as part of the national response to COVID19; retiring once more in 2023. He is currently an Honorary Professor at the Matilda Centre; University of Sydney. His work in Australia spans 30 years to the present and focusses on the combination of mental health problems and substance use. During the COVID19 pandemic he contributed to research on the impacts of COVID19 on mental health. He has been responsible over many years for a very wide range of research, policy and practice development in mental health care. He also works as an Expert Witness; he has provided reports on more than 300 suicides; 20 homicides and hundreds of reports on people who have suffered the consequences of traumatic events, including accidents, terrorist related incidents, natural disasters, war related events and stillbirth and perinatal death. He has also provided numerous reports on patients receiving care and treatment in high secure and Medium secure settings, including Broadmoor, Rampton and Ashworth hospitals
Addiction psychiatry is a medical subspecialty within psychiatry that focuses on the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of people who have one or more disorders related to addiction. This may include disorders involving legal and illegal drugs, gambling, sex, food, and other impulse control disorders. Addiction psychiatrists are substance use disorder experts. Growing amounts of scientific knowledge, such as the health effects and treatments for substance use disorders, have led to advancements in the field of addiction psychiatry. These advancements in understanding the neurobiology of rewarding behavior, along with federal funding, has allowed for ample opportunity for research in the discipline of addiction psychiatry. Addiction psychiatry is an expanding field, and currently there is a high demand for substance use disorder experts in both the private and public sector.
The primary care behavioral health (PCBH) consultation model is a psychological approach to population-based clinical health care that is simultaneously co-located, collaborative, and integrated within the primary care clinic. The goal of PCBH is to improve and promote overall health within the general population. This approach is important because approximately half of all patients in primary care present with psychiatric comorbidities, and 60% of psychiatric illness is treated in primary care.
Forensic nursing is the application of the forensic aspects of healthcare combined with the bio/psycho/social/spiritual education of the registered nurse in the scientific investigation and treatment of trauma and/or death of victims and perpetrators of violence, criminal activity, and traumatic accidents In short, forensic nursing is the care of patients intersecting with the legal system.
Donald Jay Cohen was an American psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, and director of the Yale Child Study Center and the Sterling Professor of Child Psychiatry, Pediatrics and Psychology at the Yale School of Medicine. According to the New York Times, he was "known for his scientific work, including fundamental contributions to the understanding of autism, Tourette's syndrome and other illnesses, and for his leadership in bringing together the biological and the psychological approaches to understanding psychiatric disorders in childhood"; his work "reshaped the field of child psychiatry". He was also known as an advocate for social policy, and for his work to promote the interests of children exposed to violence and trauma.
Herzog Hospital is a geriatric-psychiatric hospital in West Jerusalem. It is the third largest hospital in the city. Herzog Hospital specializes in nursing care for the elderly. The director-general of the hospital is Jacob Haviv.
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the mental health of people across the globe. The pandemic has caused widespread anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. According to the UN health agency WHO, in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, prevalence of common mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety, went up by more than 25 percent. The pandemic has damaged social relationships, trust in institutions and in other people, has caused changes in work and income, and has imposed a substantial burden of anxiety and worry on the population. Women and young people face the greatest risk of depression and anxiety. According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study of Mental Health, Substance Use, and Suicidal Ideation During the COVID-19 Pandemic, "63 percent of young people reported experiencing substantial symptoms of anxiety and depression".
Richard F. Mollica is an American academic and writer. He is the Professor of Psychiatry at the Harvard Medical School and Director of the Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma at Massachusetts General Hospital. His research focuses on Psychological trauma and recovery. Mollica has published over 160 scientific manuscripts, and has published Healing Invisible Wounds (2006) and Manifesto IV Healing a Violent World (2018). In 2022, he received the lifetime award from Harvard Medical School, and in 2023, the Lux et Veritas Award from Yale Divinity School