Newswise — The latest in the series of Courage to Care fact sheets targeted to support our nation's military service members and their families are now available on the web. Suicide Facts for Primary Care Providers: Helping Service Members and Families Overcome Barriers to Care"; "Suicide Facts: What Military Families Should Know to Help Loved Ones Who May Be at Risk"; and, "Health Literacy: Addressing Communication Barriers to Foster Patient Self-Care and Family Care" have been added to the collection of educational resources available from the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress (CSTS) at http://tinyurl.com/bk58gx.
"Rates of suicide are tragically elevated amongst soldiers. It is most important to identify those at risk and help them access care," said Robert J. Ursano, M.D., CSTS Director at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU). "The newest issues of Courage to Care address suicide warning signs, risk factors, and the barriers to care often felt by those in need. If we can educate the families and friends of our service members, and at the same time provide a valuable resource for the service members directly, we can help to reduce 'job-related' stress and at times even save lives, while also improving operational effectiveness and performance within the military."
Courage to Care is an ongoing health communication initiative of USU and CSTS, which is part of the USU Department of Psychiatry and a partnering center of the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury. Courage to Care disseminates timely and important issues to enhance and sustain the well-being of our military community. Courage to Care fact sheets are in the public domain and are available for reposting on outside organization's websites and for redistribution. Each installment includes a fact sheet for healthcare professionals and a fact sheet for families and patients. Courage to Care can be distributed in office waiting areas, or on an organization's website.
Located on the grounds of Bethesda's National Naval Medical Center and across from the National Institutes of Health, USU is the nation's federal school of medicine and graduate school of nursing. The university educates health care professionals dedicated to career service in the Department of Defense and the U.S. Public Health Service. Students are active-duty uniformed officers in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Public Health Service, who are being educated to deal with wartime casualties, natural disasters, emerging infectious diseases, and other public health emergencies. Of the university's more than 4,200 physician alumni, the vast majority serve on active duty and are supporting operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere, offering their leadership and expertise.
For more information, contact the Office of External Affairs at (301) 295-3981 or visit the USU Web site at: http://www.usuhs.mil.
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