Course Details
Course Description
(This course is approved for 1 hour of POST CPE.)
Current and former members of the United States military may not always volunteer information about their military service. Veterans may not be willing to share their experiences, especially when they cause them mental anguish. Military deployment may have a profound effect on men and women that have served in regions of conflict and war. Understanding mental illness in the veteran population and how to screen, diagnose and treat mental illness is important for healthcare professionals. This course covers conditions common to veterans and family members of veterans and provides information on inquiring about whether the patients are veterans or family members of veterans, and screening for conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, risk of suicide, depression and grief, and prevention of suicide.
Course Objectives
Learning Objectives
Discuss the importance of mental health screening for veterans
Explain the diagnostic criteria for PTSD
Describe the assessment of suicidal ideation
Course Syllabus
I. Introduction
II. Mental Health Disorders In Veterans
III. Mental Health Screening
IV. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder In Veterans
1. DSM-5 Diagnostic Criteria for PTSD
2. Primary Care PTSD Screening
3. Trauma Driven Screening
4. Self-Report Screening Instruments
V. Depression In Veterans
1. Patient Health Questionnaire-2
2. Patient Health Questionnaire-9
3. Screening Recommendations for PHQ-2 and PHQ-9
IV. Grieving In The Veteran Population
1. Traumatic Grief
2. Complications of Bereavement
3. Assessment of Complicated Grief In Returning Veterans
V. Risk Of Suicide In Veterans
1. Assessment of Suicidal Ideation
2. Suicide Risk Factors
3. Suicide Risk Prevention
VI. Treatment of Co-Occurring PTSD and Substance Use Disorder
VII. Sleep Problems in Veterans with PTSD
VIII. Summary