• A peek behind the curtain: Prolonged exposure therapy for PTSD

    Post-traumatic stress disorder can be debilitating, but there are therapies that can reduce symptoms, improve quality of life, and help Airmen return to duty.One of the most effective therapies, practiced by many Air Force mental health professionals, is prolonged exposure therapy.

  • A peak behind the curtain: PTSD barriers and stigmas

    Effective treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder is possible, but many Airmen falsely think seeking medical help for PTSD will hurt their career and will not help them get better. These stigmas and misconceptions create perceived barriers, preventing Airmen from seeking care. Delaying treatment

  • A day in the life: Mental health supports Airmen, readiness

    As with any Air Force healthcare provider, Capt. Daniel Gibson, a clinical psychologist with the 92nd medical group, Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, relies on a collaborative, patient-centered approach to care.The mental health clinic at Fairchild Air Force Base uses a collaborative approach

  • Good mental health critical to readiness

    Mental health is a critical part of every Airman’s medical readiness. Although many service members worry that seeking mental health care will negatively effect their career, the opposite is usually true. With early identification and the right treatment by a medical professional, most mental health

  • Suicide prevention month: stopping suicide is everyone’s battle

    September is Suicide Prevention Month, a time for Americans to build awareness and help understand suicide in our culture. More than 40,000 Americans lose their life due to suicide each year and research shows that rates in the military and the general population are very close. The loss of any one

  • New annual Mental Health Assessment requirement begins July 31

    Starting July 31, 2017, Airmen undergoing their annual Periodic Health Assessment may notice something new. A Mental Health Assessment will now be part of every annual PHA, to help ensure that Airmen suffering from undiagnosed mental health issues are referred to the necessary care. Mental health

  • Partial Hospitalization Program

    The JBER Hospital Mental Health Flight and Behavioral Health Unit recently added an outpatient program interaction class called the Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) on Feb. 1, 2017, as another resource for patients who are considered at high risk of harming themselves or others or are

  • Growing through grief

    Imagine a wound so deep it gnaws at the senses – days, even months after. Some days the pain can be ignored, but others, you can’t get it off your mind. It wasn’t properly treated, so now it festers. Everyone sees the bandages and assumes it is taken care of, but it has yet to heal.On a Sunday in

  • PTSD Awareness leads to positive treatment

    Post-traumatic Stress Disorder can be debilitating in some patients, but thanks to advancements in research and the continued training of mental health providers, treatments are getting better all the time.Maj. Joel Foster, Chief of Air Force Deployment Mental Health, said treating PTSD has improved