Mission Reconnect: Promoting Resilience and Re-Integration of Post-Deployment Vet

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The overall goal of this project is to produce a multimedia educational intervention that will support recently returned veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and their relationship partners (spouse, family or friend) with instruction in cognitive and behavioral processes at home that promote personal resiliency and relationship re-integration. The final product will be an integrated multimedia program that delivers effective support at their convenience while avoiding two common obstacles to serving this population--lack of proximity to formal services, and resistance to using formal services. The elements of the program include (1) a psycho-educational component addressing common mental health needs and vulnerabilities of returning post-deployed veterans and their family members, (2) instruction in mindfulness-based practices for stress reduction and self-support, (3) instruction in a contemplative practice to promote interpersonal connectedness with a relationship partner, and (4) instruction in simple touch and massage techniques to promote both stress reduction and interpersonal connectedness. Phase I will develop and refine the content, processes, and individual elements of the program through a combination of focus groups, experiential workshops, and usability testing of prototype materials, and evaluate feasibility of the approach. Specific aims: 1. Evaluate qualitative data from pre-intervention focus groups. 2. Produce prototype multimedia components that deliver instruction in cognitive and touch-based health promotion practices for participants to use at home. 3. Conduct a 12-week trial of the multimedia educational program with 40 veterans and their chosen partners. 4. Evaluate qualitative data from follow-up focus groups. 5. Evaluate utilization and perceived helpfulness of the intervention. 6. Evaluate impact of massage on symptoms. 7. Assess longitudinal within-subject effects of the intervention. 8. Identify predictors of response. Hypotheses: 1. There will be significant improvements in depression, stress levels, quality of life, selfcompassion and compassion for others during the intervention period compared to the control period, for both veterans and partners. 2. The frequency of use of the intervention techniques will predict levels of depression, stress levels, quality of life, self-compassion and compassion for others in both the veteran and the partner. Design: Waiting-list controlled repeated measures (AABB) design, single-subject statistical pre-processing, and hierarchically optimal classification tree analysis (CTA). Feasibility will be determined by assessing (1) utilization and perceived helpfulness of the intervention, and (2) evidence of potential impact on well-being in veterans and their participating partners. Impact: The proposed program will offer a convenient, private resource that may reduce suffering and improve quality of life of potentially tens of thousands of OIF/OEF veterans and their family members, as well as millions of veterans and family members from other service eras still living with the wounds of war.