Understanding Sexual Trauma: PTSD Monthly Update, April 2015

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PTSD Monthly Update

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Feature Topic

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For VA Providers

Research at the Center

PTSD in the News

April 2015 Issue

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Feature Topic

Understanding Sexual Trauma

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April is sexual assault awareness month.

Sexual assault is any kind of sexual activity against an individual's will. Sexual assault happens to men, women, and children. The effects of sexual assault can be immediate or delayed. There is no single pattern of response.

Below find more information on this type of trauma and its effects:

Sexual assault also occurs among military troops. "Military Sexual Trauma" or MST is the term used by VA to refer to experiences of sexual assault or repeated, threatening acts of sexual harassment that occur during military service. Among Veterans seen in VA, about 1 in 4 women and 1 in 100 men report MST. There are free VA services for Veterans who have experienced MST (regardless of whether they have a VA disability rating).

Resources

  • Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network* (RAINN) carries out programs to prevent sexual assault, help survivors, and ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice.
  • DoD Safe Helpline* provides confidential one-on-one assistance for individuals who have experienced military sexual trauma, rape, or domestic violence. Call or text 1-877-995-5247 to talk with someone 24/7.
  • National Sexual Violence Resource Center* has projects on prevention and databases of local, state and regional experts.

Resources for Veterans and Their Families

  • Meet Veterans who talk about their experiences with getting PTSD treatment after experiencing sexual trauma.
  • Every VA health care facility has an MST Coordinator who can answer any questions Veterans might have about VA's MST-related issues and help Veterans access VA services and programs.
  • Find VA PTSD Treatment programs with our PTSD Program Locator

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For Providers

Consult with PTSD Experts

The PTSD Consultation Program offers free PTSD consultation to any provider who treats Veterans in any setting. This program is now open to Community Providers.


PTSD Consultation Program

Have a question about PTSD? Contact us:
Call 866-948-7880 or
Email PTSDconsult@va.gov


PTSD 101 Course: Military Sexual Trauma

PTSD 101 Course: Military Sexual Trauma

This one-hour online course defines sexual harassment and assault and provides prevalence rates for these events in the military.

Deployment Risk and Resilience Inventory-2 (DRRI-2)

The DRRI is a suite of 17 individual scales that assess key deployment-related risk and resilience factors with demonstrated implications for Veterans' post-deployment health.

Sexual Trauma: Information for Women's Medical Providers

Information on the general psychological effects of sexual assault and how it presents in a medical setting (targeted to gynecological providers).

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For VA Providers

2015 PTSD Consultation Lecture Series

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VA staff please sign up for VA Staff PTSD Updates to receive monthly notices that include a registration link and instructions for joining the live lectures.

Next Lecture in the Series

  • 5/20 at 2 pm ET - Patricia Watson, PhD on PTSD and Military Culture

Mark your calendar for the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 2 pm ET.

Military Sexual Trauma

Resources to assist VA Staff in their work with Veterans who have experienced MST are located on the VA MST Sharepoint site.

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Research at the Center

Veteran Satisfaction and Preferences with MST Screening

VHA has implemented a universal MST Screening Program and extensive treatment resources targeting MST-related health conditions.

With the aim of improving the screening process, a Center study is gathering data about the experiences and preferences of men and women Veterans who have gone through MST screening.

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PTSD in the News

Triangle researchers to test PTSD treatment with $2 million federal grant. Dr. Denise Sloan, Associate Director for Education for the National Center for PTSD's Behavioral Science Division, contributed to an April 20th story in the Raleigh, NC News & Observer on the testing of the Stellate Ganglion Block procedure to treat PTSD patients. Read more.*

Recovery a slow process for Franklin Regional High School stabbing victims. Dr. Jessica Hamblen, the National Center for PTSD's Acting Deputy Executive Director, was interviewed for a April 4th story in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review about the mental health effects on students of the one-year anniversary of a mass knife assault at the high school. Read more.*

Disaster Resources for the Public and Health Providers. Disasters like the recent earthquake in Nepal and the riots in Baltimore, MD can have far-reaching effects. To help those in need see our Resources for Survivors and the Public | Resources for Responding to Sudden Trauma for health providers.


Be sure to forward this update to others so they can subscribe. We send one update per month to keep you informed of the latest PTSD developments.

Thank you,

The Staff of VA’s National Center for PTSD

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Produced by VA’s National Center for PTSD - Executive Division
Email: ncptsd@va.gov | Visit our Web site: www.ptsd.va.gov

*Links will take you outside of the Department of Veterans Affairs website to a non government site.
VA does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of these linked websites.