The Effectiveness of Stress Inoculation Training with Military Personnel Deployed

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a disabling illness that has negatively impacted a considerable percentage of the military population returning from war over the past several years. Increased efforts towards primary prevention may prove beneficial reducing long-term sequelae of PTSD symptoms.

The Mental Health Advisory Team ΓÇô II (MHAT ΓÇô II) recommends delivery of standardized training for deploying personnel which focuses on management of combat-related stressors. Implementation of Stress Inoculation Training (SIT) with military personnel deploying to a combat zone is a vital prevention tool consistent with MHAT ΓÇô II recommendations.

Currently, a gap exists in the literature regarding implementation of SIT for military personnel deploying to a combat zone. All previous studies have examined SIT prevention with civilians whose occupations had similar occupational hazards as compared to operational forces. There are no published studies examining the effects of SIT with operational military personnel.

The PI of this grant proposal is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) who is board certified as a Psychiatric/Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist. While deployed to a combat zone in an operational setting, the PI conducted an evidence based performance improvement project involving SIT with military personnel who were symptomatic with combat operational stress symptoms. Performance improvement measures reflected improvement in symptoms with eighty-eight percent of personnel who completed the SIT program.

Military psychiatric/mental health APRNs, as demonstrated in the previous evidence based practice (EBP) PI endeavor, are capable of delivering cutting edge health care with positive outcomes in an operational environment. Research examining the effects of SIT as a preventive measure for deploying military personnel will fill a previously identified gap in the literature. Study outcomes will also provide guidance to military nursing and military medicine about effective prevention measures that guard against development of PTSD with military personnel involved in war.