Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #120620

Anne L. Roesler, MPH, CHES, Department of Health Science, San Jose State University, One Washington Square, San Jose, CA 95192, 408 868-9235, aroesler@pacbell.net and Nancy Lessin, MS, Co-founder, Military Families Speak Out, P.O. Box 549, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130.

While recognizing that the war in Iraq has had, and will continue to have, significant detrimental effects on the health and welfare of Iraqis, this session will focus specifically on the effects of military training and the war on U. S. soldiers, their families and other loved ones, and the communities in which they live. The session will include a diverse panel of military family members and returned Iraq War veterans and seek to answer the following questions: What are the consequences- both at home and abroad - of the training U.S. soldiers receive? What are the short and long term effects of the actions taken by U.S. soldiers during war on their mental health? What are the repercussions of these effects on the loved ones of affected soldiers? For the communities in which they live and work? For U.S. society as a whole? In addition, we would like this session to engage participants in problem posing questions such as 1) What is the role of those who work within the military as providers of health services, and 2) What are the roles and responsibilities of health educators and service providers outside of the military?

Learning Objectives: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to

• Identify some of the consequences, at home and abroad, of the training U.S. soldiers receive;
• Discuss the short- and long-term effects of the actions taken by soldiers during war on their mental health; and
• Describe tiers of health services available to and received by soldiers.

Keywords: War, Mental Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.