By VA Rocky Mountain MIRECC for Suicide Prevention
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The podcast currently has 135 episodes available.
Searching for the meaning of life is only natural. A meaningful life leads to a sense of purpose, self-esteem and psychological well-being. How do life experiences that are unique to Veterans alter these feelings? In this episode, Dr. Edgar Villarreal speaks with VA researcher Dr. Adam Kinney and Army Veteran, Jeff Moe to find out. They discuss how Kinney’s research, on meaning in life among Student Veterans with combat exposure, relates to Moe’s life experiences. His journey from military to student life led to supporting others as a Student Veteran Outreach Coordinator with the VA VITAL program.
Transcript Episode 135 Short Takes
VITAL: VA Veterans Integration to Academic Leadership
Article Discussed: Protective factors that mitigate the indirect risk of combat exposure upon meaning in life: A longitudinal study of student veterans
Host: Edgar Villarreal, PhD, is a Psychologist and the Director of Education and Training at the VA Rocky Mountain MIRECC for Suicide Prevention.
Guest: Jeff Moe, LCSW, is an OEF/OIF Veteran, Social Worker, and Advocate. He currently works as the supervisor of a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Suicide Prevention Telehealth Program that specializes in providing mental health services to at-risk Veterans across most of Texas and parts of New Mexico. Previously, Jeff built on his experience as a Student Veteran and worked for eight years as a VA Student Veteran Outreach Coordinator at colleges and universities in the Austin, Texas area. While in this position, he worked collaboratively with Student Veterans, faculty, and staff to develop peer mentorship and other preventive programming while also providing counseling, health care enrollment, and other support services tailored specifically to Student Veterans.
Guest: Adam Kinney, PhD, OTR/L, is an occupational therapist who completed his PhD in the Department of Occupational Therapy at Colorado State University in 2019. While pursuing his PhD he collaborated with New Start for Student Veterans, a supported education program for student Veterans, to investigate factors influencing a range of clinical outcomes, including resilience, community reintegration, and academic performance. His current research focuses on improving care quality and associated outcomes for Veterans with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and sleep conditions.
Transcript Episode 134 Short Takes
Article Discussed: Exercise to Reduce Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms in Veterans
Host: Edgar Villarreal, PhD, is a Psychologist and the Director of Education and Training at the VA Rocky Mountain MIRECC for Suicide Prevention.
Guest: Adam Holt is a U.S. Army Veteran and the Executive Director of Outsiders Anonymous - a 100% free gym for individuals in recovery, Veterans with PTSD, and the community that supports them.
Guest: Daniel Reis, PhD, is an Advanced Fellow in Mental Illness Research and Treatment at the VA Rocky Mountain MIRECC for Suicide Prevention. His research interests include the relationship between lifestyle variables and mental health outcomes as well as the impact of seasonal sunlight on depression treatment outcomes.
The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the Department of Veterans Affairs of the linked web sites, or the information, products or services contained therein.
Veterans experiencing homelessness face unique challenges that increase their risk for suicide. In this episode, Dr. Edgar Villarreal talks to our guest Dr. Ryan Holliday about the need for research focused on this population. They discuss an article that explores research priorities identified by experts and Veterans with lived experience in suicide prevention and homelessness who came together in a recent VA meeting. Today's conversation covers reaching Veterans with the services they have access to, upstream interventions and the need for tailored approaches for subgroups such as women and men or rural and urban. Targeted research will help broaden suicide prevention efforts beyond mental health interventions to support those experiencing or at risk for homelessness.
Transcript Episode 133 Short Takes
Article Discussed: Establishing a Research Agenda for Suicide Prevention Among Veterans Experiencing Homelessness
Host: Edgar Villarreal, PhD, is a Psychologist and the Director of Education and Training at the VA Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center for Veteran Suicide Prevention.
Guest: Ryan Holliday, PhD, is a Clinical Research Psychologist at the Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center for Veteran Suicide Prevention and Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.
Transcript: Short Takes Episode 132 Transcript
Articles Discussed:
Suicide and Traumatic Brain Injury Among Individuals Seeking Veterans Health Administration Services Between Fiscal Years 2006 and 2015
Suicide Among Veterans with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Suicide After Stroke in the US Veteran Health Administrative Population
Lethal Means Safety for Providers:
Information on lethal means safety
Free training on lethal means safety
Guest Bios:
Lisa A. Brenner, Ph.D., is a Board-Certified Rehabilitation Psychologist, a Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R), Psychiatry, and Neurology at the University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, and the Director of the Department of Veterans Affairs Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center. She is also Vice Chair of Research for the Department of PM&R.
Jordan Wyrwa, DO, is a Board-Eligible Fellow Physician in Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine at Children’s Hospital Colorado. He is a recent graduate of the University of Colorado, PM&R Residency Program.
In today’s conversation, forensic neuropsychiatrist Dr. Hal Wortzel talks with our guest host, Dr. Suzanne McGarity, about his recent observational study on cannabis use among people with PTSD. They discuss the nature of observational studies, the current state of the research and the results of this recent study.
Transcript: Short Takes Episode 131 Transcript
Article: The long-term, prospective, therapeutic impact of cannabis on post-traumatic stress disorder.
About Hal Wortzel: Hal Wortzel, MD, is a forensic neuropsychiatrist at the Denver VA’s Rocky Mountain MIRECC, where he serves as Director VA Advanced Fellowship Program in Mental Illness in Psychiatry, Director of Neuropsychiatric Consultation Services, and Co-Director of the VA Suicide Risk Management Consultation Program. He is also an associate professor of Psychiatry, Neurology, and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at the University of Colorado. He serves as the Michael K. Cooper Professor of Neurocognitive Disease, Director of the Neuropsychiatry Service, and as faculty for the Division of Forensic Psychiatry. Current areas of clinical and academic focus include aggression and suicide in the context of PTSD and TBI, incarcerated veterans, and the application of emerging neuroscientific tools to the legal arena.
Short Takes Episode 130 Transcript
The VA is known as a leader in suicide prevention, offering innovative approaches to preventing Veteran suicide. And yet, many Veterans are not enrolled in VA care. It is therefore imperative that community organizations that serve Veterans have the resources and knowledge to help with veteran suicide prevention. The Patient Safety Center of Inquiry - Suicide Prevention Collaborative is an innovative partnership with community agencies that serve Veterans, such as homeless programs, veteran service organizations, private mental health clinics, and legal services.
In this episode, Dr. Bryann DeBeer, Clinical Research Psychologist at the Rocky Mountain MIRECC for Veteran Suicide Prevention, tells Adam Hoffberg about the Suicide Prevention Collaborative, which recently won the 2021 National VHA Community Partnership Challenge, and why building community partnership is essential for Veteran suicide prevention.
About Bryann DeBeer: Dr. Bryann DeBeer is the Director of the VA Patient Safety Center of Inquiry – Suicide Prevention Collaborative, a Clinical Research Psychologist at the VA Rocky Mountain MIRECC for Suicide Prevention, and a Visiting Associate Professor at University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Dr. DeBeer received her B.A. in psychology and fine arts from New York University in 2003. She completed her doctoral training in clinical psychology at the University of Maryland, College Park in 2012, and obtained her clinical license in 2014. She joined the Rocky Mountain MIRECC in 2020. Dr. DeBeer has extensive experience in longitudinal assessment, treatment development, and clinical trials, particularly related to PTSD, suicide risk, and complex comorbidities in Veterans. Dr. DeBeer serves as a panel member of the VA Clinical Science Research and Development Data Monitoring Committee.
Resources:
Article about the Suicide Prevention Collaborative
Press Article about the 2021 National VHA Community Partnership Challenge Award
Is ACT a useful approach for addressing suicide? In this episode, Dr. Sean Barnes, clinical research psychologist at the VA Rocky Mountain MIRECC for Suicide Prevention, talks with guest host Dr. Debbie Sorensen about his research on ACT for Life, a new treatment designed to help Veterans respond effectively to suicidal thoughts and actions using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.
In this episode, Barnes and Sorensen discuss:
Article: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to Promote Recovery from suicidal crises: A Randomized Controlled Acceptability and Feasibility Trial of ACT for life
Resources:
About Sean Barnes: Sean M. Barnes, Ph.D. is a clinical research psychologist at the VA Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC) for Veteran Suicide Prevention and an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine. Sean is a consultant for the Department of Veterans Affairs Suicide Risk Management Consultation Program and an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for Depression provider and training consultant. He is also the principal investigator of the ACT for Life study, testing a brief ACT protocol for maximizing recovery after suicidal crises. Other aspects of Sean’s research focus on the use of contextual behavioral interventions for moral injury, and the study of suicide risk assessment, but all his projects share a common goal of alleviating suffering and helping others build vital meaningful lives.
The transition from military to civilian life can be an important time for service members. For many, it is an exciting life transition. For some, however, it can be a time of high stress, and even crisis. Whether it’s changes in social support, financial stress, a change in identity, or a cultural adjustment, some service members struggle during this period and are at heightened risk for suicide.
What are the factors that increase suicide risk during that transition? Which service members are at the highest risk? Do length of service and military branch matter? What outreach and prevention efforts are being made? And what can everyone – friends, families, and clinicians – do to support our service members and veterans during the transition period?
In this episode, Dr. Bridget Matarazzo, Clinical Research Psychologist and Director of Clinical Services at the Rocky Mountain MIRECC for Suicide Prevention, talks to Dr. Mark Reger and Brady Stephens about their research on this important topic!
About Mark Reger and Brady Stephens:
Mark Reger, Ph.D. is the Chief of Psychology at the VA Puget Sound and a professor at University of Washington School of Medicine in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. His research focuses on veteran and military prevention, risk and protective factors unique to the military community. Brady Stephens, MS SAS.C.P. is a statistician and the Director of Data Analytics and Informatics for VA VISN 2 Center of Excellence for Suicide Prevention.
Resources:
Article: “Association of Suicide Risk with Transition to Civilian Life Among US Military Service Members” https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2770538
Make the Connection website (stories of other service members): https://www.maketheconnection.net/
In Transition Program (DoD) https://www.pdhealth.mil/resources/intransition
The relationship between PTSD and suicide is important to understand if we want to prevent suicide among veterans and military service members. So what is the relationship between PTSD and suicide? Well, according to suicide and PTSD researcher Dr. Ryan Holliday…. It’s complicated! In this conversation, Dr. Holliday talks to fellow MIRECC Psychologist, Dr. Nazanin Bahraini, about his review of the recent research on suicide risk and PTSD. They discuss who is most vulnerable for suicide, and what drives suicide risk. Dr. Holliday talks about how clinicians can navigate these complex factors to help their clients in therapy, and offers some words of wisdom and support for veterans and service members who are struggling.
Social connection is a key aspect of suicide prevention in older adulthood. Dr. Kimberly Van Orden, who researches isolation and connection in older adulthood, talks to Dr. Lisa Brenner about her background in suicide prevention and older adulthood, benefits and vulnerabilities associated with aging, and why social connectedness is especially important in later life. She tells listeners about social connection planning and describes the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy model for helping older adults cope with isolation.
The podcast currently has 135 episodes available.