Cultural influences & impact of military life on individuals and families - Essay Example

Cultural Influences & Impact of Military Life on Individuals and Families al Affiliation) Cultural Influences & Impact of Military Life on Individuals and FamiliesThesisMental health aspect in military life receives great devotion from the federal government and different states that have implemented measures to secure the psychological well-being of individuals and families. The military offers one of the challenging tasks to the lives of dedicated Americans, but the pressure is not only felt by military personnel, but also by their family members.

Impact of Military on Individuals and Families Family members of military personnel do not experience direct physical harm or attack, but rather experience psychological trauma. Either the psychological trauma experienced arises due to prolonged time spent in the battlefield or absence for erratic periods due to duty calls (Britt & Adler et al., 2006). The military places family members into high consideration owing to their influence on military personnel and this has aided in the development of various programs to deal with mental health issues and specifically in California and Washington.

Programs and Services Offered To Contain Impacts of Military LifeMental health is concerned with the well-being of individuals in psychological terms where people can cope with stresses associated to life. The military considers the mental health of families whose members are part of the military or were injured or killed in the line of duty. The death of a family member can be traumatic and thus it is important for concerned parties to receive not only financial support, but also counselling to ensure they are guided through the harrowing experience.

Numbers released by the National Centre for Children living in Poverty indicates that the youth and children of military personnel exhibit increased rates of mental health issues as opposed to their counterparts in the general population (Hall, 2008). Military personnel children exhibit various levels of mental health issues particularly during the deployment of their parents and this trend can only be reversed by the counselling and support services offered to family members. The first action instituted by the service is through different social workers assigned to work on the cases of military personnel and their families (Britt & Adler et al., 2006). The social workers department in the military employs the highest number of social workers with masters’ level of education showing the immense need for the provision of quality services (Hall, 2008).

The social workers are tasked with the responsibility of assisting the families and war veterans in coping with different stress levels as well as resource navigation. The different mental health issues looked at includes posttraumatic stress disorders, depression, alcohol, and other drug related addictions. Physicatirist provide continuous services through monitoring to ensure continuity in treatment, evaluation, while at the same time offering vital evaluations on the mental health of the families and military personnel.

Families in the Region are provided with crisis intervention, advocacy, education, and high-risk management to stabilize their mental health. The military further hires the services of behavioural officers that include clinical social workers, psychiatric nurses, psychologists, psychiatrists, and nurse practitioners to work with the families of war veterans and other military personnel (Britt & Adler et al., 2006). Health officers have an obligation in dealing with cases of behavioural issues arising from the deployment of military personnel who play an important role in the American society.

The military is responsible for the development of mental health treatment and prevention programs aimed at arresting the situation at early stages or before it occurs. The associated support services offered to the families is aimed at improving the conditions of future military personnel as well as safeguarding the American society. ReferencesBritt, T. W., Adler, A. B. & Castro, C. A. (2006). Military life. Westport, Conn.: Praeger Security International.Hall, L. K. (2008). Counselling military families.

New York, NY: Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group