In This Issue

Feature Topic

Family

Family can be a source of support and strength. But PTSD can take a toll on the most caring family.

They're angry. They're defensive. They're withdrawn. - Chris, son of a Veteran with PTSD

Living with someone who is easily startled, has nightmares, feels detached from others, and avoids social situations is difficult. Learn about:

• Common reactions that family members may have and how children may respond
• The effects of PTSD on marriage, intimate relationships, and the mental health of partners.
• How to respond to a loved one with PTSD and how to take care of yourself
• How you can help family and friends who are Veterans get needed care

New Family Section on AboutFace

I see improvements every day. - Vanessa, wife of a Veteran with PTSD.

Hear more from Vanessa and other family members about the impact of PTSD and how treatment helped turn things around.

Resources for Military Families

• Parenting2Go, a free mobile phone app that may help Veterans and Servicemembers reconnect with their children and strengthen parenting skills.
• Returning from the War Zone, a guide to help family members with reintegration following deployment

back to top

For Providers

Working with Families

Because PTSD and other trauma reactions change how a trauma survivor feels and acts, traumatic experiences that happen to one member of a family can affect everyone else in the family.

Get an overview of:

• The effects of PTSD on family members and how you can help
• How deployment can affect children and families

National Child Traumatic Stress Network Resources

The NCTSN's Military and Veteran Families Program offers educational and training resources, including trauma-informed assessments and evidence-based practices, for mental health providers who work with military and Veteran families.

Continuing Education

PTSD 101 Course: Couples and PTSD - Learn how PTSD impacts relationships and how to include partners in PTSD therapy.

back to top

For VA Providers

The Deployment Risk and Resiliency Inventory

Get a copy of the newly updated Deployment Risk and Resiliency Inventory-2 (DRRI-2), which includes scales to assess family functioning, stressors, and support.

Help Get the Word Out about VA Support for Caregivers

If you know someone who cares for a Veteran, suggest the VA Caregiver Support program and their Support line at 1-855-260-3274

2014 VA PTSD Consultation Program Lecture Series

Subscribe: Learn about our PTSD Lectures

VA staff can sign up for VA Staff PTSD Updates to receive monthly registration instructions for these live lectures.

Next Lecture in the Series

• 10/15 at 2 pm ET - Ruth Lanius, MD, PhD on PTSD and Dissociation: Clinical and Neurobiological Perspectives

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

Free PTSD consultation for anyone working with Veterans.
Call 866-948-7880 or
Email PTSDconsult@va.gov.

back to top

Research at the Center

Family Adaptation to Deployment

The Center is in the midst of a 5-year project examining how PTSD among Veterans deployed to Iraq impacts family mental health and functioning over time. The study will also see if family support lessens the effect of a Veteran's PTSD on family outcomes.

back to top

PTSD in the News

Research Shines Light on Nighttime Symptoms of PTSD. Dr. Matthew Friedman contributes to an article in the Columbia Chronicle on recently published findings by investigators from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine and San Diego VA. Read more.*

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

Thank you,

The Staff of VA’s National Center for PTSD

back to top