An Inside Look: Why DCoE Launched the Real Warriors Campaign

July 16, 2009

To address the unique needs of each of its audiences, the Real Warriors Campaign looked at the specific challenges facing active duty service members, National Guard and Reserve, veterans and military families.

The stigma surrounding psychological health concerns and accessing needed care can be a significant barrier to seeking mental health services for both military personnel and civilians.

Studies by the Mental Health Advisory Team (MHAT) from 2004-2007 spotlighted some of the beliefs that discourage service members from seeking psychological health services:

“It would be too embarrassing.”
“It would harm my career.”
“Members of my unit might have less confidence in me.”
“My leaders would blame me for the problem.”
“I would be seen as weak.”

The 2007 MHAT V survey also showed that there is an increased risk of serious combat stress or depression with each deployment:

12 percent of service members exhibit signs of combat stress or depression during their first deployment.
19 percent of service members exhibit signs of combat stress or depression during their second deployment.
27 percent of service members exhibit signs of combat stress or depression during their third deployment.

According to Purdue University’s Military Family Research Institute, children can react differently to a parent’s deployment based on their age. For example, children who are 5 or younger may exhibit a fear of separation, whimpering and excessive clinging. Children ages 6 to 11 may experience withdrawal, inattentiveness, sleep problems or outbursts of anger. Adolescents ages 12 to 17 may exhibit symptoms similar to adults, such as anxiety, depression and substance abuse.

For members of the National Guard and Reserve, the post-deployment experience can be especially isolating. A January 2008 CRS Report for Congress showed that there are several factors that can make the period after deployment particularly difficult for the National Guard and Reserve:

Service members are not surrounded by the unit with which they served.
Guard and Reserve face the immediate expectation of reintegrating into their “old life.”
They may be seen as having taken “time off” to serve.

The Real Warriors Campaign built on existing research by facilitating nine small group discussions and key informant interviews with more than 80 individuals to gain a greater understanding of the complexities and individual experiences behind information from surveys, articles and studies such as those mentioned previously.

Using the key findings garnered through all of the collective research, the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE) designed the campaign and its Web site, www.realwarriors.net, to address the needs of each of its target audiences, including servicespecific information.

One of the campaign’s most important messages is that our warriors and their families should reach out because it does make a difference. The Web site includes a live chat feature for visitors to connect to the DCoE Outreach Center, which hosts a variety of round-the-clock resources to answer questions about psychological health and traumatic brain injury concerns for members of all the military services — including active duty, the National Guard and Reserve and veterans as well as families and health care providers.

The DCoE Outreach Center is staffed by health consultants and nurses with advanced degrees and expertise in psychological health and traumatic brain injury issues. In addition to answering questions, the consultants refer callers to centers in other parts of the Department of Defense, other federal agencies and outside organizations when appropriate.

All calls, e-mails and interactions remain confidential. The DCoE Outreach Center can be contacted via the 24/7 toll-free hotline: 866-966-1020, by email: resources@dcoeoutreach.org, or by using the live chat connection on the Real Warriors Campaign Web site: http://realwarriors.net/livechat. For more information on DCoE and the DCoE Outreach Center, please visit www.dcoe.health.mil.