In a study that followed thousands of veterans over a decade, initiating non-medical use of opioid painkillers was associated with a more than 5-fold risk of also beginning to use heroin.(more…)
Many veterans suffering from blast concussions may have hormone deficiencies that mimic some of the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, according to researchers with the Department of Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System and the University of Washington.
The researchers screened 35 veterans with blast injuries. They found that 42 percent had irregular hormone levels indicative of hypopituitarism, a condition that can often be controlled by replacing the deficient hormones. (more…)
*Michelle Obama: If Malia or Sasha Joined the Military, “I Would Be Proud.”*
In an exclusive interview with Yahoo! Shine (https://shine.yahoo.com), the leading women’s lifestyle website with more than 30 million visitors per month, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden discuss the importance of supporting military families and how the First Lady would feel is her daughters enlisted. As a military mom herself, Dr. Jill Biden also discusses ways we can support returning Veterans. (more…)
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Of the 2 million United States Service members that have been in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, it’s estimated that up to 50 percent experience combat-related issues ranging from substance abuse to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Now, a University of Missouri professor is conducting a unique study that will give military veterans a “training buddy” to help them cope while helping shelter dogs become more adoptable. The Central Missouri Humane Society is supplying the dogs involved in the study.
The University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine’s Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction (ReCHAI) has been supported and funded through a series of grants from Mars Petcare (the WALTHAM Foundation, PEDIGREE Foundation and Banfield Charitable Trust) and the MU Research Board, to conduct a study of the mutual benefit of veterans training shelter dogs. Researchers hope this partnership between man and animal will make the dogs better family members and assist the veterans’ adjustment after returning home. (more…)
*Microsoft today awarded grants to six organizations that help veterans and their spouses find jobs. The grants were part of the company’s Elevate America Veterans Initiative, a series of training and placement programs.*
REDMOND, Wash. – Nov. 10, 2010 – Microsoft is providing millions of dollars in cash and software to help returning veterans find employment in technology jobs.
The company announced today the grant recipients of its Elevate America Veterans Initiative, a series of training and placement programs to help give veterans and their families the skills and resources they need to succeed in today’s work force. Six nonprofits that work with veterans and their spouses will share $2 million in cash and up to $6 million in software and information technology skills training curriculum.(more…)