DVIDS – News – New DAF Mental Health Overview Clarifies Mental Health Resources for Airmen and Parents

Department of the Air Force mental health leaders announced a new Mental Health Overview that outlines comprehensive resources for Airmen and parents seeking mental health support.

The brief, released March 6 during the 2024 Mental Health Aviation Leadership Conference, is a collaborative effort by mental health leaders from across the Air Force Medical Service. This overview guide aims to reduce the complexity of mental health, highlight the process of seeking clinical and non-clinical mental health help, and provide recommendations on how to make the most of all care resources. It is to do.

Lt. Col. Eric Meyer, the mental health overview project leader and assistant director of the Office of Psychological Health and a psychiatric consultant to the U.S. Air Force Surgeon General, said the project is designed to help Airmen and parents understand what mental health is. It was created out of an important need to understand. He means mental health resources gathered under one tool.

“We have great clinicians who are doing their best, and we have very flexible policies. But we didn't have the resources to explain the entire system,” Meyer said. “We wanted a user-friendly resource that could be used throughout the Department of the Air Force.”

Col. Christian Smith, Air Force Director of Mental Health, emphasized that Air Force leaders continue to change the culture surrounding mental health. One of these efforts is his “Mental Health Overview” to help airmen and parents recognize how mental health impacts their resilience and overall health. This is due to the release of “.

“Mental health refers to everything we do to protect ourselves, from improving sleep hygiene to improving exercise to improving nutrition. On the other hand, mental health refers to everything we do to protect ourselves, from improving sleep hygiene to improving exercise and nutrition. That's a possibility,” Smith said. “Each part of that spectrum is unique to some degree and can benefit from different resources,'' explains “Introduction to Mental Health.'' Our hope is that this will help clarify terminology and provide common language and support for all Airmen and parents. ”

Using friendly language and customized infographics, Meyer and his team of mental health experts leverage educational best practices to help all Airmen, parents, and their leaders and supervisors understand. We helped them understand the Air Force's approach to mental health.

“We once thought that stigma was the main barrier to seeking mental health care, but that is no longer true. Now there is mostly confusion, and that is a natural deterrent to seeking help.” “It's leading to fear,” Meyer said.

This overview guide contains seven short chapters that debunk common assumptions about mental health, distinguish between clinical and non-clinical treatments, and guide you through the use of different symptoms and levels of psychological distress. Provide guidance on the range of mental health care available. The final three chapters detail specific options for engaging with a mental health clinic, expectations for initiation of clinical care, and further guidance regarding remission and return to work.

Meyer emphasized that over the past decade, the vast majority of service members seeking psychological help were actually seeking non-clinical resources, noting that “people seek care before things get out of control.” It's great to have that,” he said.

Some patients do not necessarily require clinical mental health care, but may benefit from non-clinical support from friends and family, command teams, chaplaincy teams, military and family life counseling. there is.

“Most military members don't know about it,” Meyer said.

Meyer said most Airmen and guardians who receive clinical mental health treatment achieve remission, and part of that success is due to their awareness of the various resources available to them. . The overview guide puts these resources at your fingertips to help your employees return to a healthy state of mind, ready to tackle their jobs.

This guide provides assurances from mental health leaders that when a military member's treatment plan is observed to be ineffective, clinical personnel will prioritize the patient's health and tailor care to the patient's specific needs. Offers.

In addition to publishing Mental Health Overview digitally, physical copies and chapter handouts will be available at mental health clinics and all Air Force bases.

“The Department of the Air Force recognizes that people are our most valuable asset and that caring for them leads to increased productivity and well-being,” Smith said. “There are a number of initiatives underway to help Airmen and parents lead fulfilling lives both on and off the job. This is one way we are making mental health and resilience a reality. is.”