Authors: Keller, Richard T.¹; Greenberg, Neil²; Bobo, William V.³; Roberts, Peter⁴; Jones, Norma⁴; Orman, David T.⁵

Source: Military Medicine, Volume 170, Number 5, May 2005 , pp. 355-361(7)

Publisher: AMSUS - Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

Abstract:

Since the Persian Gulf War of 1990–1991, the operational tempo for soldiers has steadily increased, whereas the numbers of soldiers available to fulfill these missions has decreased. As a result, soldiers and their families are experiencing increased levels of stress that continue to manifest in ways that can often be destructive for the soldiers, their families, and the Army community. Current mitigation and identification support systems such as the Chain of Command, noncommissioned officer leadership, chaplains, and family support systems have all provided critical services, but may not be expected to optimally perform necessary early risk management assessment. Behavioral health care as a self-referral system is often still perceived as career ending, shameful, or even culturally unacceptable. Our allies have also experienced similar family, operational, and combat concerns. In 1996, at the direction of their Commandant General, the British Royal Marines developed and instituted a peer-driven risk management and support system that has experienced a high degree of success and acceptance among its forces—enough so that the Royal Navy is now in the process of implementing a similar program. The Soldier Peer Mentoring and Support program, as part of the proposed deployment Cycle Support Program, is a model for peer group assessment based on the British Royal Marines psychological risk management and support system. This article presents and describes this project, which has been considered for use within the U.S. Army, as a potential augmenter of existing behavioral health support assets as a culturally acceptable, company-level support program in deployment and home stations.

Document Type: Research article

Affiliations: 1: Chief, Intensive Outpatient Services, Continuity of Care Services, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC. 2: Surgeon Lieutenant Commander, Royal Navy, Academic Department of Psychological Medicine, GKT School of Medicine and Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK. 3: Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD. 4: Defence Services Psychiatric Centre, Catterick, North Yorkshire, UK. 5: Headquarters, U.S. Army Medical Command, Fort Sam Houston, TX.

Publication date: 2005-05-01

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• Military Medicine is the Association's official monthly journal. The objective of the Journal is to promote awareness of Federal medicine by providing a forum for responsible discussion of common ideas and problems relevant to Federal healthcare. Its mission is: To increase healthcare education by providing scientific and other information to its readers; to facilitate communication; and to offer a prestige publication for members' writings.
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