Department of Defense Survey of Health Related Behaviors Among Active Duty Military Personnel


Book Description

For more than 20 years, the DoD has collected information regarding behavioral and health readiness of active duty military personnel through the Survey of Health Related Behaviors Among Military Personnel (Survey). In 2005, DoD initiated the ¿Dept. of Defense Lifestyle Assessment Program,¿ which incorporates the active-duty health behaviors study and expands the scope to include the National Guard and Reserves, as well as other special studies, the first of which will examine unit-level influences on alcohol and tobacco use. The 2005 Survey has two broad aims for active duty military personnel: (1) to continue the survey of substance use; and (b) to assess progress toward selected ¿Healthy People 2010¿ objectives. Charts and tables.




2015 Department of Defense Health Related Behaviors Survey (HRBS)


Book Description

In this report, RAND researchers review survey methods, sample demographics, key findings, and policy implications from the 2015 Health Related Behaviors Survey of active-duty service members.




Combating Tobacco Use in Military and Veteran Populations


Book Description

The health and economic costs of tobacco use in military and veteran populations are high. In 2007, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DoD) requested that the Institute of Medicine (IOM) make recommendations on how to reduce tobacco initiation and encourage cessation in both military and veteran populations. In its 2009 report, Combating Tobacco in Military and Veteran Populations, the authoring committee concludes that to prevent tobacco initiation and encourage cessation, both DoD and VA should implement comprehensive tobacco-control programs.




2005 Department of Defense Survey of Health Related Behaviors Among Active Duty Military Personnel


Book Description

This report presents the primary results of the 2005 Department of Defense (DoD) Survey of Health-Related Behaviors among Active Duty Military Personnel. This study is the 9th in a series of surveys of active-duty military personnel conducted in 1980, 1982, 1985, 1988, 1992, 1995, 1998, 2002, and 2005 under the direction of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs). All of the surveys investigated the prevalence of alcohol use, illicit drug use, and tobacco use, as well as negative consequences associated with substance use. The 1985 through 1992 surveys also covered an expanded set of health behaviors and related issues. In 1995 and 1998, health behavior questions were revised and items were added to assess selected "Healthy People 2000" objectives. In addition, questions were added to examine the mental health of the active force, specific health concerns of military women and military men, oral health, and gambling behaviors. The 2002 and 2005 surveys continued the general focus of the 1998 survey and expanded it to include "Healthy People 2010" objectives. They also augmented the items on exercise, nutrition, and mental health and added new items on dietary supplement use, risk taking and impulsive behavior, job satisfaction, deployment, and religiosity/spirituality. The final sample consisted of 16,146 military personnel (3,639 Army, 4,627 Navy, 3,356 Marine Corps, and 4,524 Air Force) who completed self-administered questionnaires anonymously. Following an introductory chapter, chapters are as follows: (2) Methodology of the 2005 DoD Active Duty Survey; (3) Overview of Trends in Substance Use and "Healthy People 2010" Objectives; (4) Alcohol Use; (5) Illicit Drug Use; (6) Tobacco Use; (7) Healthy Lifestyles and Disease Prevention; (8) Health Behavior and Health Promotion; (9) Stress and Mental Health; and (10) Other Health-Related Issues in the Military. The report includes 137 tables.




Strengthening the Military Family Readiness System for a Changing American Society


Book Description

The U.S. military has been continuously engaged in foreign conflicts for over two decades. The strains that these deployments, the associated increases in operational tempo, and the general challenges of military life affect not only service members but also the people who depend on them and who support them as they support the nation â€" their families. Family members provide support to service members while they serve or when they have difficulties; family problems can interfere with the ability of service members to deploy or remain in theater; and family members are central influences on whether members continue to serve. In addition, rising family diversity and complexity will likely increase the difficulty of creating military policies, programs and practices that adequately support families in the performance of military duties. Strengthening the Military Family Readiness System for a Changing American Society examines the challenges and opportunities facing military families and what is known about effective strategies for supporting and protecting military children and families, as well as lessons to be learned from these experiences. This report offers recommendations regarding what is needed to strengthen the support system for military families.




Assessing Fitness for Military Enlistment


Book Description

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) faces short-term and long-term challenges in selecting and recruiting an enlisted force to meet personnel requirements associated with diverse and changing missions. The DoD has established standards for aptitudes/abilities, medical conditions, and physical fitness to be used in selecting recruits who are most likely to succeed in their jobs and complete the first term of service (generally 36 months). In 1999, the Committee on the Youth Population and Military Recruitment was established by the National Research Council (NRC) in response to a request from the DoD. One focus of the committee's work was to examine trends in the youth population relative to the needs of the military and the standards used to screen applicants to meet these needs. When the committee began its work in 1999, the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force had recently experienced recruiting shortfalls. By the early 2000s, all the Services were meeting their goals; however, in the first half of calendar year 2005, both the Army and the Marine Corps experienced recruiting difficulties and, in some months, shortfalls. When recruiting goals are not being met, scientific guidance is needed to inform policy decisions regarding the advisability of lowering standards and the impact of any change on training time and cost, job performance, attrition, and the health of the force. Assessing Fitness for Military Enlistment examines the current physical, medical, and mental health standards for military enlistment in light of (1) trends in the physical condition of the youth population; (2) medical advances for treating certain conditions, as well as knowledge of the typical course of chronic conditions as young people reach adulthood; (3) the role of basic training in physical conditioning; (4) the physical demands and working conditions of various jobs in today's military services; and (5) the measures that are used by the Services to characterize an individual's physical condition. The focus is on the enlistment of 18- to 24-year-olds and their first term of service.




Risk and Resilience in U.S. Military Families


Book Description

War related separations challenge military families in many ways. The worry and uncertainty associated with absent family members exacerbates the challenges of personal, social, and economic resources on the home front. U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have sent a million service personnel from the U.S. alone into conflict areas leaving millions of spouses, children and others in stressful circumstances. This is not a new situation for military families, but it has taken a toll of magnified proportions in recent times. In addition, medical advances have prolonged the life of those who might have died of injuries. As a result, more families are caring for those who have experienced amputation, traumatic brain injury, and profound psychological wounds. The Department of Defence has launched unprecedented efforts to support service members and families before, during, and after deployment in all locations of the country as well as in remote locations. Stress in U.S. Military Families brings together an interdisciplinary group of experts from the military to the medical to examine the issues of this critical problem. Its goal is to review the factors that contribute to stress in military families and to point toward strategies and policies that can help. Covering the major topics of parenting, marital functioning, and the stress of medical care, and including a special chapter on single service members, it serves as a comprehensive guide for those who will intervene in these problems and for those undertaking their research.







Returning Home from Iraq and Afghanistan


Book Description

Nearly 1.9 million U.S. troops have been deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq since October 2001. Many service members and veterans face serious challenges in readjusting to normal life after returning home. This initial book presents findings on the most critical challenges, and lays out the blueprint for the second phase of the study to determine how best to meet the needs of returning troops and their families.




Military Psychology, First Edition


Book Description

During wartime, the need for mental health professionals intensifies, and the role they play is increasingly important. This comprehensive professional reference and text presents crucial knowledge for anyone who provides direct psychological services or consultation to military, law enforcement, or intelligence personnel, or who works to enhance operational readiness. Expert contributors describe the ins and outs of working within the military system and offer guidelines for effective, ethical practice. Among the clinical applications discussed are fitness-for-duty evaluations, suicide risk assessment and prevention, substance abuse treatment, and brief psychotherapy. Operational applications include such topics as combat stress, survival training, hostage negotiation, and understanding terrorist motivation.