Grand Challenges for Military Behavioral Research

The military has been at wars for nearly a decade and a half and the toll these wars have had on the behavioral health of service members and their families has been tremendous, with many behavioral health problems continuing into post-military life.  Increases in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, suicidality and other risk- taking behaviors are just a few of the reported challenges service members, veterans and their families face.  Thus far, the Departments of Defense (DoD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) have invested nearly one billion dollars into understanding, preventing and/or treating the behavioral health effects of deployment and combat exposure, yet much research remains to be completed and conducted.

Recognizing the on-going need of service members, veterans and their families and to maintain the research momentum generated by DoD and the VA, a strategic meeting was held at the University of Southern California amongst leading university-based research center directors involved in conducting military and veteran behavioral health research, including military family research to identify existing research gaps in military behavioral health.  From this meeting, 16 Grand Challenges emerged that are “ambitious, yet achievable goals for our nation that mobilize the profession, capture the public’s imagination, and require innovation and breakthroughs in science and practice to achieve.” 

• Foster military and family resilience across military occupations and career transitions

• End veteran homelessness

• Eliminate stigma associated with seeking mental and physical health care

• Prevent military and veteran deaths by suicide, unintentional prescription drug overdose, and risky behaviors

• End military sexual harassment and assault

• Disrupt the impact of military service on families

• Cure post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

• Develop effective risk-taking countermeasures against alcohol and drug misuse/abuse, aggression, risky driving, etc. 

• Improve access to behavioral health care for service members, veterans and their families

• Develop and organize community systems that support and empower veterans and their families through community-based interventions

• Leverage technology and biomarkers for enhancing behavioral health and treating behavioral health problems

• Establish a military and veteran research network to enhance collaboration and coordination

• Identify and remove health  disparities based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and identity

• Remove existing policies and barriers that hinder behavioral health care for service members, veterans and their families

• Make the translation of behavioral health research findings into improved policy, treatment, and programs near instantaneous

• Prepare service members for successful military transitions

In this roundtable, these Grand Challenges of Military Behavior Research will be presented and discussed by a panel of military research experts with the aim to engage social work researchers in their revision and modification to operationalize them into actionable “grand challenges.” for the social work profession.  To accomplish this aim, the roundtable will seek input from the audience via questions and facilitated discussion.