Social workers perform different types of work that requires different groups of people. One of these groups is the military group. Post-traumatic stress disorder is a disorder that is common among military personnel. It is a mental disorder or condition normally triggered by horrific events witnessed or experienced. Social workers have a duty in dealing with military PTSD as it is among the wide range of work areas. To understand the topic of military PTSD and how it is of importance to social workers, a literature review of scholarly articles can be given. This paper will, therefore, provide an analysis of four articles on military PTSD. Further analysis will center on a discussion of the strength and limits of the articles.
Literature Review
When addressing military PTSD, social workers normally have different approaches. One of these approaches is psychotherapy. Based on this, Maria Steenkamp and other authors team up on research to find out the effectiveness of psychotherapies on military PTSD. The study takes a review of several randomized clinical trials in a bid to find out the effectiveness of psychotherapy in PTSD. Two types of therapies are examined in this case; they include; prolonged exposure therapy and the cognitive processing therapy (Steenkamp & Marmar, 2015). Participants in the trials are then studied and observed based on the type of therapy administered among the two. The participants include some military officers diagnosed with the disorder. The findings and conclusion of the two tests show that the therapies have been sufficient; however, non-response rate has also been high; hence there is a need to improve on the current treatment for the disorder.
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The second article analyzed is Research On Understanding The Pathophysiology, Prevalence, And Treatment Of Military PTSD After Deployment by Rachel Yehuda, Erick Vermetten and Amy Lehrner. The article claims that there should be special consideration among the military personnel when trying to address any issue on PTSD. The current existing knowledge and how to treat PTSD has been generalized in the military. The research, therefore, is an overview of the extent to which PTSD studies on the military have been generalized and some of the existing special issues that should be considered. There is a divergence of the prevalence rate among different militaries and several other post-deployment-related problems that are not the same. The research also focuses on a wide range of military approaches and mental interventions and how they can be applied to the special issues surrounding military PTSD not common among different militaries in the world.
Different factors contribute to military PTSD. The factors may be different. One of these factors can be combat exposure. Combat exposure influences military PTSD. It is therefore important to have this into consideration when working to reduce the prevalence of military PTSD among military personnel. Binan Evans and other researchers through their article Combat Exposure and PTSD Among Military Combatants In North East Nigeria examine how combat exposure influences military PTSD and how the information can be used when trying to intervene against the disorder. The research is a study that focuses on the Nigerian military; one of Africa's most trained and well managed military forces. The participants in the study include the Nigerian military officers, psychologist, and social workers. It is a quantitative kind of study that involves statistical measures to test the accuracy of their hypothesis based on the data provided (Dami, 2018). At the end of the study, combat exposure was found not to be significant as arousal to military PTSD. The article concludes by claiming that there is a need for proper mental assessment just before deployment and even after deployment as an effective way of managing stress among military personnel.
The argument whether the same kind of approach should be given to male partners and female partners in military PTSD continue to elicit different views. Dominic Murphy and other authors in their research dabbed " living alongside military PTSD " take a look at how female partners experiencing military PTSD should be treated when proving an intervention or treatment. The research is based on the theoretical belief that female partners have different needs as compared to male partners. Different personal issues mar Their military deployment, and therefore the kind of PTSD treatment approach should also be responsive to their needs (Murphy et al. 2017). The research findings and conclusion claim that there need to focus on individual needs to come up with practical techniques used when addressing military PTSD.
Discussion
All the articles analyzed in this paper provided well researched, structured and well-detailed analyses which are some of the general strengths that the articles showed. Steenkamp's article also includes evidence-based research able to support their hypothesized claims on the two psychotherapy approaches. A detailed analysis of the efficacy of each of the psychotherapy approaches is also given. However, the article should have addressed the possible limitations of using the two approaches both in the first line treatment intervention and in the second line treatment intervention. Rachel Yehuda's article, on the other hand, can provide continuous flow and related topics and issues being examined (Yehuda & Lehmer, 2014). The importance of identifying biomarkers of PTSD in the prevalence of military PTSD and how the information is useful during the intervention was not detailed enough. Binan uses statistical methods in the analysis but also provides a good connection on whether combat exposure should be an issue of concern among workers when dealing with military PTSD. There are complexities in some statistical measures that make it difficult for a reader to comprehend and effectively relate to the main issue in question. Dominic Murphy's article employs data collection methods that are effective, not biased and highly responsive to the nature of the topic of discussion. He also addresses ethical issues that could have been experienced in the study. Part of the study should have addressed the issues of a male partner and made a distinction on how their needs vary.
All these articles are very significant to social workers. Steenkamp's article tries to show and justify how social workers can effectively use psychotherapy interventions specifically the two interventions of focus and their efficacy. Social workers should, therefore, be knowledgeable and have skills in psychotherapy. Social workers should have a clear background of the prevalence and the pathophysiology of PTSD on the military group that they are assigned to. This will be important in coming up with an intervention that is responsive to the group. Yehuda's research article shows this. Binan's article is a revelation to social workers why it essential to have a thorough mental assessment to figure out PTSD exposure factors when dealing with the disorder. It is also essential to deal with PTSD clients differently according to their needs and not to generalize the approach. Female military veterans, for example, require a different kind of requirements, support and emotional managing which is not the same case with male partners.
Conclusion
All the four research analyzed in this paper play a critical role in helping to unravel several things on military PTSD and the role of social workers. I think most of their claims and argument are realistic especially the intervention recommended. There is however need for more research on mental assessment and similar research on each of the topic being discussed by the different research articles.
References
Dami, E, Binan. (2018). Combat Exposure and PTSD Among Military Combatants In North East
Nigeria. Jounal of Psychology and Clinical Psychiatry. https://medcraveonline.com/JPCPY/JPCPY-09-00558.pdf
Murphy, D., Palmer, E., Hill, K., Ashwick, R., & Busuttil, W. (2017). Living alongside military
PTSD: a qualitative study of female partners’ experiences with UK Veterans. Journal of
Military, Veteran and Family Health , 3 (1), 52-61. https://www.kcl.ac.uk/kcmhr/publications/assetfiles/2018/murphy2018a.pdf
Steenkamp, M. M., Litz, B. T., Hoge, C. W., & Marmar, C. R. (2015). Psychotherapy for
military-related PTSD: a review of randomized clinical trials. Jama , 314 (5), 489-500.
https://www.resiliencemn.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Steenkamp-et-al-JAMA1.pdf
Yehuda, R., Vermetten, E., McFarlane, A. C., & Lehrner, A. (2014). PTSD in the military:
special considerations for understanding prevalence, pathophysiology and treatment
following deployment. European Journal of Psychotraumatology , 5 (1), 25322.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265517632_PTSD_in_the_military_Special_considerations_for_understanding_prevalence_pathophysiology_and_treatment_following_deployment
