Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons^™

Coming Home: Veterans Leaving Service Face A Deadly Identity Crisis, Alexandria M. Hammond

Capstones

Many veterans are not adequately prepared for the psychological challenges they will face when leaving the military and transitioning to civilian life. Researchers, advocates and veterans themselves are beginning to realize how this "transition stress" is contributing to the high rates of veteran suicide in the United States.

Link to Capstone: http://monroehammond.com/uncategorized/coming-home-veterans-leaving-service-face-a-deadly-identity-crisis/

From The Boots On The Ground: A Comparison Of The Attitudes And Beliefs Of Military Members And Mental Health Professionals Regarding The Moral Injury Construct, Karis L. Callaway

Dissertations

An increasing amount of research conducted in recent years indicates that, in addition to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, moral injury is a key concept to recognize when considering the deployment experiences of service members. Although related to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, which is a fear-based mental health diagnosis, moral injury is a distinct concept. It acknowledges the possible prolonged negative psychological, social, and spiritual consequences that may occur after experiences that challenge and transgress one’s deeply held moral beliefs. Events such as perpetration of harm, failing to protect or prevent harm, and witnessing or learning about distressing acts committed by influential others …

"We've Been Here All Along" : The Standpoint And Collective Resilience Of Transgender U.S. Service Members., Jacob R. Eleazer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The 2010 repeal of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) policy ended the ban on open lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) military service (Alford & Lee, 2016). However, prior to 2015 transgender military personnel were still considered medically and psychologically unfit for service (Kerrigan, 2012; Yerke & Mitchell, 2013). From 2015 through 2017, the Department of Defense (DoD) researched the implications of policy change, developed new policies and trainings, and implemented open service for transgender persons (Belkin, 2016; Carter, 2015). The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of transgender military service members prior to this transition in …

Examining Adaptive Structures Of Military Families In Relation To Deployment, Gabriel Reed

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Military families experience stressors unique to their occupation which strongly influence family structure. Deployment is one of the most impactful and unique experiences that a majority of current military families have experienced as it influences familial stability and structures. Previous research has found that when compared to civilian American families, military families tend to identify as more rigid than flexible while still maintaining good familial satisfaction reports. By examining the correlation between various family structure domains of military families (cohesion, flexibility, rigidity, deployment history, and familial satisfaction) mental health workers may better assist these families in establishing strategies to endure …

African American Army Women's Journeys: A Question Of Mentoring, Renee Adryce Rouse

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative study examined how mentors aided the career progression of African American women who held leadership positions in the U.S. Army. It was focused on mentoring relationships of African American army women, challenges and successes of their mentoring experiences, and their perceived effects these mentoring relationships had on their career advancement and construct of success. The researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with 14 women aged 32 to 64 years old, of varying rank ranging from Sergeant Major to Colonel. The majority enlisted to assist with their incurred college expenses. At the time of the interviews, the participants were either on …