afterdeployment.org: A web-based multimedia wellness resource for the postdeployment military community.

Abstract

Practicing psychologists and other health professionals are facing a growing patient population of United States military service members with significant psychological and behavioral health concerns returning from war zones in Afghanistan and Iraq. Some of these issues are new and unfamiliar to many health providers. Furthermore, because of a military culture of self-reliance, strength, and the perceived stigma of seeking mental health services, a second and substantial population of service members-in-need is choosing not to consult health professionals at all. The Internet and other networked multimedia technologies now offer a rich expert resource for providers, and an anonymous, less stigmatizing venue for self-management for service members and their families. Over the last 2 years the U.S. Defense Department’s National Center for Telehealth & Technology has developed afterdeployment.org ,a Web-based set of resources, tools, and aids for service members, veterans, and their families. afterdeployment.org provides education and skills-development exercises aimed at overcoming challenges to the adjustment process after a deployment. The Website also provides health professionals with a comprehensive resource to serve as an adjunct to face to face treatment of individuals in the military community.