PTSD Treatment among War Veterans

Introduction

There is a need for cultural sensitivity when treating war veterans with PTSD. In most situations, physicians and other professionals focus on treating the symptoms without addressing the cultural needs of the war veterans (Dekel & Monson, 2010). If physicians and other professionals address the cultural needs of the war veterans, it is highly likely that it would improve the health outcomes. In most cases, nurses, physicians, and other professionals address only the cultural needs of the majority groups but neglect the cultural needs of the minority groups (Dekel & Monson, 2010). The program will focus on improving cultural intelligence among health care providers caring for war veterans with PTSD. However, implementing such a program requires support from the political class because PTSD is a societal issue that affects many individuals in the society. Moreover, the program may prove effective not only for war veterans but also for the general population that may have experienced traumatic events. The research paper will propose how to implement a cultural sensitivity program among war veterans with PTSD. 

The target population is about 132 war veterans in SCI Camp Hill State Prison, Pennsylvania (Ross, 2018). Because they are in prison, their health outcomes may be a bit lower than war veterans with PTSD and are receiving support from the government, friends, and family (Sayer et al., 2010). The war veterans in the facility require more assistance than other groups of war veterans. The objectives of the program include: improving cultural intelligence of health officials treating are veterans with PTSD at SCI Camp Hill State Prison and improve the re-entry rate of the war veterans into the society. After completion of the program, the evaluation team will analyze the health outcomes by comparing the finding before and after the program was implemented. If the program is successful, it may assist the general population. The evaluation team consists of five members who are tasked with evaluating the cultural needs of war veterans in SCI Camp Hill State Prison and designing the program. I am the lead evaluator because I identified the need and have the required leadership skills to lead the evaluating team. 

Literature

Evidence

Since 2001, over 2.3 million US troops were deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq (Tanielian, 2018). During that period, a long war proved to have a serious health impact on veterans and their families. Despite the fact that most of the war veterans return home and have minimal post-deployment issues, a significant number face issues reintegrating to civilian life and some have mental health problems. About 15-20% of war veterans may experience PTSD (Tanielian, 2018). Currently, war veterans may account for about 8% of the jail population. The main reason why war veterans end up in prison is their mental health. Therefore, the program seeks to improve PTSD treatment among war veterans in SCI Camp Hill Prison so that it may increase their chance of reentry into civilian life. 

According to the US Department of Veterans Affairs, PTSD may affect about 20% of Iraqi war veterans, 31% of Vietnam war veterans, 11% of Afghanistan war veterans, and about 10% of Gulf War veterans (Tanielian, 2018). Notably, most of the war veterans in prison have mental health issues especially PTSD. There is a great need to address the cultural needs of the war veterans so that it would boost their recovery and re-entry to civilian life. The program will evaluate the cultural diversity of war veterans in SCI Camp Hill Prison and the cultural intelligence of their health providers through interviews, questionnaires, and other forms of data collection and then conduct a qualitative and quantitative data analysis. After evaluating the data, the evaluating team will design a cultural competency program that will address the cultural needs of the war veterans with PTSD.

Theory Base of the Program

The program is based on previous studies carried out on culture-sensitive psycho-traumatology. Although there is strong evidence that PTSD cuts across cultural validity, there is evidence showing that trauma-related disorders are different across cultures and their treatment may also vary to address the conditions (Sayer et al., 2010). When treating patients with PTSD, experienced therapists often design the psychotherapy according to the stage of therapy and patient’s psychopathology. Moreover, psychotherapists who are culturally sensitive try to analyze how culture improves the meaning of a patient’s life, the cultural needs of the patients, and what are their health and cultural expectations of the treatment (Sayer et al., 2010). Moreover, the US military is becoming more diverse than ever in history and health care providers must be well prepared to address the health and cultural requirement of a diverse group of war veterans (Sayer et al., 2010). 

Due to different collective meanings and cultural values, war veterans with PTSD may expose them to self-stigma (Dekel & Monson, 2010). They may become quite reluctant to share their experiences and may prefer other ways of expressing their memories. The evaluation also realized that in some cultures, family and community cohesion are an essential key in patient recovery. Moreover, therapists and other health care providers must ensure they do not take part in premature cultural stereotyping. The program has identified the significance of cultural sensitivity when treating PTSD patients. Also, the program seeks to modify PTSD treatment according to the war veteran's cultural background. Moreover, patients may decide to use other ways of expressing their memories such as singing, painting, and dancing (Dekel & Monson, 2010). The program supports a culturally sensitive approach when treating PTSD patients, especially war veterans in prison, to ensure the impact of the health interventions is optimized to benefit not only their families and friends but also the entire society. 

References

Dekel, R., & Monson, C. M. (2010). Military-related post-traumatic stress disorder and family relations: Current knowledge and future directions. Aggression and Violent Behavior , 15 (4), 303-309.

Ross, M. (2018). State military officials visit SCI Houtzdale Veterans Service Unit. Retrieved from http://www.theprogressnews.com/progress_news/state-military-officials-visit-sci-houtzdale-veterans-service-unit/article_dd3e1b67-4e74-50c7-a5e8-cf99d537181e.html

Sayer, N. A., Noorbaloochi, S., Frazier, P., Carlson, K., Gravely, A., & Murdoch, M. (2010). Reintegration problems and treatment interests among Iraq and Afghanistan combat veterans receiving VA medical care: Psychiatric Services , 61 (6), 589-597.

Tanielian, T. (2018). Bridging the Gaps in Treating Veterans with Post-Deployment Mental Health Problems. Retrieved from https://www.rand.org/blog/2011/12/bridging-the-gaps-in-treating-veterans-with-post-deployment.htm