Military Psychologist

Human psychology today, Military psychologists specialize in diagnosing and treating military personnel. Military psychologists can be civilians, enlisted personnel, or research psychologists specializing in issues affecting the military. Additionally, they assist family members of soldiers struggling with emotional or mental health disorders.

For example, the military employs psychologists to assist commanders develop training programs for Navy SEALS and other elite soldiers known as Survival, Escape, Resistance and Evasion (SERE) training. Military psychologists conduct research, provide counseling, and administer clinical treatments.

Military psychologists employed by the Navy or Army usually offer clinical services, rather than conduct research. Military psychologists specializing in research usually attempt to better understand how personality traits indicate attitudes toward safety, what types of personalities best suit specific military occupation specialties, and how to more effectively treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Clinical military psychologists administer psychological assessments and psychotherapy, conduct forensic analysis, develop training programs, and teach. Each military branch has psychologists assigned to work with its enlisted personnel.

Military psychologists also interview officers to determine whether they’re capable of fulfilling their assigned duties.

A military psychologist is often involved in maintaining the mental health of current service members or veterans. The primary objective of a military psychologist is to keep individuals mentally fit for service.

Practice

Some psychologists evaluate service members for signs of posttraumatic stress disorder. When facing difficult emotional problems, service members may also voluntarily seek out the psychologist for treatment, and psychologists must be able to work with the diverse members of the organization they serve.

Research

Psychological research in the military aims to keep the military as a whole functioning. By understanding how individuals work within the military from a psychological perspective, an organization can improve cohesion and attentiveness by instituting policies that keep personnel healthy.

References

http://www.psychologycareercenter.org/military-psychologist.html

http://study.com/articles/Military_Psychologist_Job_Duties_and_Education_Requirements.html

 

 

Categories: Psychologist