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Mind-body programs can improve mental health and well-being in military populations. This pilot study of a virtual synchronous resilience intervention was conducted from 2018 to 2020 among 26 military personnel. Participants completed self-report psychosocial questionnaires before and after the 6-week program, including measures of posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, stress, resilience, and mindfulness. The intervention included eliciting the relaxation response, adaptive coping strategies, and healthy behaviors. Pre-post changes were calculated using paired t tests and effect sizes ( d ). Significant improvements were found for depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-8), stress reactivity (Measure of Current Status-Abbreviated Scale), and mindfulness (Cognitive Affective Mindfulness Scale-Revised). A 6-week resilience intervention can help military personnel improve mental health, coping, and stress management. [ Psychiatr Ann . 2022;52(5):186–190.]

The purpose of this study was to examine differences between military veterans and service members with and without a psychiatric assistance dog (PAD) who were receiving cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Six hundred eighty-two military veterans presented at a 2-week intensive, outpatient CBT program for PTSD from February 2016 to February 2020. Self-reports of symptoms and rates of treatment completion by PAD ownership were assessed. Patients with PADs ( n = 93) reported higher scores on the PTSD Checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fifth Edition) ( P = .04; Cohen's d = 0.23) and Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory ( P < .01; Cohen's d = 0.34) at baseline. PTSD symptom change was comparable between participants with and without PADs ( P > .05). Dropout was higher among owners of PADs, but this difference was not significant ( P = .11). Among military populations, those with PADs may experience more severe PTSD and neuro-cognitive symptoms, but having a PAD was not associated with treatment outcome in intensive CBT. [ Psychiatr Ann . 2022;52(5):191–198.]

Military service can add stress to military-connected family members, and this stress has been linked to their overall well-being. This study examined the acceptability and explored the effectiveness of a mind-body stress management program for military-connected families and whether it was more effective delivered in person or online. Participants ( n = 55; 96% female; M age = 39.98±10.11) completed assessments of mood, functioning, mindfulness, and coping at pre- and post-program, as well as post-program qualitative feedback surveys. All participants reported that they felt comfortable during the program, and most (>90%) reported that it was helpful and would recommend it for others. Participants experienced significant improvement in stress, depressive symptoms, and self-efficacy (Cohen's d > 0.60). No significant differences in the outcomes for the in-person versus the online program were found. This program, whether delivered online or in person, seems to improve stress, self-efficacy, and depressive symptoms in military-connected families. [ Psychiatr Ann . 2022;52(5):179–185.]

The misuse of benzodiazepines is a growing concern due to increases in both access to these medications and their associated public health harms, most concerningly risk for overdose when combined with other substances. Although cue reactivity-the subjective and physiological response to cues or reminders of substance use-has been identified for most major classes of substances, it has yet to be studied with benzodiazepines. In this preliminary study, our objective was to assess whether images of benzodiazepines were associated with greater craving and anxiety than neutral images in adults who reported misuse of benzodiazepines.We recruited a sample of 38 adults from a substance use disorder treatment setting and administered a standard cue reactivity task using pictorial images along with a battery of self-report measures.Results indicated significantly higher craving and anxiety in response to benzodiazepine relative to neutral cues, with cues eliciting a moderate to high level of craving, on average. Craving was associated with several risk factors for benzodiazepine misuse, including insomnia and distress intolerance.This preliminary study suggests that benzodiazepine cues can become conditioned to elicit craving responses and that the degree of cue reactivity is correlated with known risk factors for benzodiazepine misuse.

Introduction Veterans involved in the justice system are an understudied population warranting attention given their higher risk of mental health concerns and psychosocial challenges. Thus, there is a need for programs to support the psychological health of incarcerated veterans. The present study sought to determine the acceptability and effectiveness of a mind-body stress reduction program for incarcerated veterans. Materials and Methods Twenty-four incarcerated veterans (100% male; Mage = 44.87 (SD = 13.84)) completed a 6 week mind-body stress reduction course, or Resilient Warrior. Participants completed validated, self-report assessments of mood, functioning, mindfulness, and coping at pre- and post-program as well as having post-program qualitative feedback surveys. Results Results showed improvement in depressive symptom severity, self-efficacy, and resilience over the study duration (P Conclusions The Resilient Warrior program is acceptable and well-tolerated for incarcerated veterans as well as may improve aspects of psychological health. Future studies could examine how stress reductions program might improve recidivism rates and quality of life after the release of incarcerated veterans.

Objectives: Given that veterans are significantly more likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), depression, and anxiety than civilians, yet current...

Student veterans are an at-risk population given the challenges of military experience, reintegration to civilian life, and attending college. Therefore, there is a need for innovative programs to support student veterans. The present study sought to determine the acceptability and effectiveness of a 10-week mind-body stress reduction intervention for student veterans, or Resilient Student Warrior.Eighty-six student veterans took part in the 10-week mind-body stress reduction course, Resilient Student Warrior.Results showed a significant improvement in reports of stress reactivity, mindfulness, sleep disturbance and coping skills for stress (p 0.05), but not self-efficacy, perceived stress, depressive or post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. The intervention was reported as helpful by 96% of participants, with 95% of participants stating they would recommend the course to others.Future studies should further assess the effectiveness of mind-body interventions among the student veteran population.