I honestly did not know much about military culture other than from what was shown to me in movies and television shows. I also know that mental health issues are a huge factor for those men and women in the military. I am sure in my future career as a counselor I will come in contact with some suffering from mental illness because of their time in the military. That is why I really wanted to get a better understanding of the basics of military culture for the observation section of my action plan. I found the YouTube video Understanding the Military Culture and thought that it might give me a good overview of the military. Although it was informative, it was not what I hoped it would be. Many of the details were strictly about California
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Online there is a free course called Military Culture: Core Competencies for Healthcare Professionals. There were four different modules that went into detail about different aspects of military culture and counseling. The first module was self-assessment and introduction to military ethos. In this module I was able to reflect on my own feelings and beliefs about the military and see how this could potentially affect my relationship with future clients. It also went into much more detail on the different branches of the military and interviews about what it actually means to be a part of it. The second module was about military organization and roles. Again, more in depth information about roles, customs, traditions, and the meaning behind much of what they do that is usually not understood by an outsider. In module three stressors and resources, they explained the most common stressors for not only military personnel but also family members. It also talked about common reactions to these stressors for different populations and ways the military has helped those dealing with it. The last module was about treatment, resources, and tools. It explained ways of assessing service members and how their military culture has impacted their mental health. It also gave information about mental health conditions that …show more content…
I would have loved to speak to more individuals that were in the military, however there just wasn’t enough time. Although I enjoyed speaking to the family friend, I would have liked to get other perspectives. Maybe talk to someone in another branch of the military, or someone that did not go to war. There are just so many different customs and traditions as well as stressors when it comes to the military and it depends on the individual’s own experience.
When looking at stressors in the military one study looked at the different stressors for Iraq war veterans returning from deployment and the risk factors for mental health issues. It was found that 2.8% of soldiers reported depression symptoms and suicidal ideations post deployment. They also found posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms were associated with a desire to self harm. The biggest stressor found associated with mental health was killing in combat. That brought about suicidal thinking and the desire to self harm which were major indications of mental health problems (Maguen et al.,
Online there is a free course called Military Culture: Core Competencies for Healthcare Professionals. There were four different modules that went into detail about different aspects of military culture and counseling. The first module was self-assessment and introduction to military ethos. In this module I was able to reflect on my own feelings and beliefs about the military and see how this could potentially affect my relationship with future clients. It also went into much more detail on the different branches of the military and interviews about what it actually means to be a part of it. The second module was about military organization and roles. Again, more in depth information about roles, customs, traditions, and the meaning behind much of what they do that is usually not understood by an outsider. In module three stressors and resources, they explained the most common stressors for not only military personnel but also family members. It also talked about common reactions to these stressors for different populations and ways the military has helped those dealing with it. The last module was about treatment, resources, and tools. It explained ways of assessing service members and how their military culture has impacted their mental health. It also gave information about mental health conditions that …show more content…
I would have loved to speak to more individuals that were in the military, however there just wasn’t enough time. Although I enjoyed speaking to the family friend, I would have liked to get other perspectives. Maybe talk to someone in another branch of the military, or someone that did not go to war. There are just so many different customs and traditions as well as stressors when it comes to the military and it depends on the individual’s own experience.
When looking at stressors in the military one study looked at the different stressors for Iraq war veterans returning from deployment and the risk factors for mental health issues. It was found that 2.8% of soldiers reported depression symptoms and suicidal ideations post deployment. They also found posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms were associated with a desire to self harm. The biggest stressor found associated with mental health was killing in combat. That brought about suicidal thinking and the desire to self harm which were major indications of mental health problems (Maguen et al.,