Health Focused Approaches to Veteran Resilience

Just Another Battle Drill: A Critical Analysis of Veteran Reactions to the COVID-19 Pandemic
Carrie Carter, North Carolina State University
The COVID-19 pandemic was the first time many Americans’ lives were upended by extended time away from family and friends, restrictions on activities and limited access to resources. These challenges were not new, however, for military veterans. Based on over 300 veteran
survey responses from spring 2020, this qualitative case study examined how military service informed respondents’ reactions to the start of the pandemic. Findings critique the notion that resilience is an individual trait by highlighting how social, cultural, and economic resources played a central role in respondents’ resilience processes. Strategies for increasing resilience in civilian communities are discussed.
Veteran Resilience During COVID-19: A Comparison of Veterans and Civilians According to the Communication Theory of Resilience
William T. Howe, Texas Tech University
Arden C. Roeder, Ph.D., Baylor University
The theories of communication theory of identity and communication theory of resilience were used to guide two studies of veteran resilience. Study 1 responses (N = 466) were analyzed to see if significant differences appeared before and after March 12, 2020. Statistical analyses revealed that military veterans who took the survey later scored significantly lower on loneliness and reintegration difficulty than other participants. In Study 2 researchers theorized veterans would score significantly better than civilians on six scales of resilience. Participant responses (N = 390) demonstrated no significant differences in most dimensions and civilians scored higher on crafting new pathways.
Psychological Resilience Within the Context of Veteran Mental Health
Ayse Torres, Florida Atlantic University
Cheryl A. Krause-Parello, Florida Atlantic University
Data shows that 75% of healthcare services for veterans occur in the community. Therefore, civilian mental health care providers (CMHPs) can play a key role in promoting psychological resilience. High quality mental health care requires for CMHPs to enhance their military cultural competency and understanding in the veterans’ reintegration process into civilian life. A basic understanding of the military culture helps build a stronger therapeutic alliance-which is the strongest determinant of mental health treatment outcomes. Charged with this understanding CMHPs can help build veterans’ psychological resilience and provide culturally congruent mental health care, thereby becoming part of the solution. In this session, we will discuss our project Operation-Red-White-and-Blue, a veteran-driven community engagement project that builds psychological resilience within the context of veteran mental health.
Resilience in Action: Attenuating Chronic Pain and Trauma in Special Forces Veterans through Psychoeducation
Rebecca Ivory, University of Delaware
Naval Special Warfare (NSW) veterans have high rates of comorbid chronic pain and trauma. Psychiatric standard of care treatment for chronic pain includes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-based psychoeducation, targeting maladaptive thoughts related to chronic pain. Methods: Nine NSW veterans were recruited through an established NSW veteran’s organization and eight finished. An etvidence-based, psychoeducation mobile application was used for the 30-day intervention. Reliable and valid questionnaires were used to establish baseline and post-intervention pain and trauma scores. Results: Seven of the eight subjects experienced significant decreases in chronic pain symptoms, while four experienced a significant change in trauma scores.