In This Issue

Feature Topic

June is PTSD Awareness Month

The National Center for PTSD invites you to Help Raise PTSD Awareness during the month of June to help those with PTSD. We encourage everyone to learn, connect, and share with others.

Learn About PTSD

Take the mystery out of PTSD: learn what it is, who is affected, and how treatment can help. Find out if you or a loved one has PTSD, and discover ways to get help.

• View a series of short, animated videos that describe PTSD and what treatment is like.
• Take advantage of online tools that help manage PTSD symptoms with PTSD Coach Online and mobile apps.
• Hear from Veterans and their providers at AboutFace.

Visit the National Center for PTSD website for more information.

Connect With Others Who Can Help

Give support. Get support. You can make a difference today in someone's life. For many people, it can be hard to reach out for help. Read tips on how to overcome barriers to care, and know that there is support for family and friends too.

Share With Others to Spread the Word!

Please spread the word to help raise awareness of PTSD and its effective treatments. Reach out to friends, family, and others in your community. We provide a variety of ideas and Promotional Materials to help you distribute information to your community or organize an event in June, including:

• PTSD Awareness flyers and posters to print and post
• PTSD educational materials to print and handout
• Social media posts to use
• Graphics and banners for your website or blog
• YouTube videos

Let us know about your contributions to this cause. Complete the Raise PTSD Awareness Pledge (PDF) or email ncptsd@va.gov.

Join the national conversation at www.facebook.com/VAPTSD and share your voice. Everyone can contribute.

History of PTSD Awareness Month

In 2010, Congress established June 27 as PTSD Awareness Day following Senator Kent Conrad's efforts to designate a day of awareness as tribute to North Dakota Army National Guard SSgt. Joe Biel. SSgt. Biel suffered from PTSD after two tours of duty in Iraq and subsequently took his own life. This tragic event emphasizes the need for everyone to work together to help those living with PTSD.

We now highlight the month of June as PTSD Awareness Month.

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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.

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

Stay Up-to-Date

Are you staying up-to-date with the latest research developments in PTSD? Learn about best practices in PTSD assessment and treatment at the National Center for PTSD website. We provide many tools you can use to better help your patients with PTSD. The National Center also offers free PTSD Continuing Education opportunities for health care professionals.

During PTSD Awareness Month, please encourage your colleagues to subscribe to these publications from the National Center for PTSD:

• PTSD Monthly Update
• Clinician's Trauma Update - Online
• PTSD Research Quarterly

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For VA Providers

VA-Specific PTSD Awareness Promotional Materials

Find additional VA-specific promotional materials on our PTSD Intranet site, vaww.PTSD.va.gov, such as website banners for VA Medical Center pages and screen savers for VA computers.

2015 PTSD Consultation Lecture Series

Subscribe!

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

• 6/17 at 2 pm ET - Mark Reger, PhD on Recent Research and New Strategies for Suicide Prevention in VA/DoD

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

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Research at the Center

The Genetics of PTSD

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

National Center and Boston University researchers were the first to publish a genome-wide association study (GWAS) for PTSD, finding that the RORA gene is important for PTSD risk. The team is now conducting a more detailed genetic analysis of PTSD to improve understanding of how genes contribute to the development of the disorder.

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PTSD in the News

Wash U graduate copes with PTSD through service. Dr. Sonya Norman, PTSD Consultation Program Director with the National Center for PTSD, contributed to a May 16th story in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on a Veteran with PTSD who is helping fellow Veterans with PTSD by connecting them to service projects in their community. Read more.*

While at War, Female Soldiers Fight to Belong. A study led by Dr. Amy Street, Acting Director of the National Center for PTSD's Women’s Health Sciences Division, and Dr. Ronald Kessler of Harvard University, was discussed in a May 24th article in The New York Times on the challenges experienced by women U.S. service members in Iraq and Afghanistan. Read more.*

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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