Secondary Trauma and Burnout in Military Behavioral Health Providers: Beyond the Battlefield

This book provides an in-depth look at the complex clinical, individual, and organizational challenges that our clinicians face in treating our returning soldiers struggling with the aftermath of more than a decade of war. The author explores the confluence of factors that make this time in history a perfect storm for military mental health providers. The signature wounds of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars weave a tapestry of emotional turmoil with diffuse brain injury difficulties that challenge the very best clinicians under the best conditions. The author targets different pieces of the puzzle including the prevalence of secondary trauma and burnout, the organizational factors that promote negative clinician well-being, the creation and evaluation of an online social media based intervention for burnout, and a critical review of peer coaching.

Charles C. Benight is Professor, Chair of Veteran Health and Trauma, and President’s Teaching Scholar at the University of Colorado USA. He is the author of more than 50 articles on coping with traumatic stress. He obtained his PhD from Stanford University, USA and post-doctoral training at the University of Miami in Behavioral Medicine, USA. He was awarded the Cornelia Sabine Award for Outstanding Contribution to Psychology.