Military Mental Health Sessions Coming to APA Annual Meeting

APA Works with Military to Reduce Stigma of Mental Illness 

Sessions to address the mental health needs of service members and their families will be part of the APA Annual Meeting in May in Honolulu. The sessions include workshops on topics like substance use for returning Iraq and Afganistan veterans and a variety of reports, including sleep disruption among returning combat veterans and PTSD among American Indian veterans.

The opening symposium on Saturday, May 14, will address new approaches in managing PTSD, and a small interative session is scheduled for Tuesday, May 17, on the psychological effects on military service members and their families. Additional sessions will focus on advances in suicide prevention and how military leaders may optimize mental health of service members.

Credentialed news media are invited to register online by May 6, 2011. Registered press will have interview access to leading APA decision makers, leaders in research and other key members of other mental health agencies and organizations.  An opening press briefing highlighting the APA's 164th Annual Meeting will be held on Sunday, May 15, at 8 a.m. More information will be provided on site.