This paper outlines current program models at two facilities, the National Intrepid Center of Excellence at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and Intrepid Spirit Center at Fort Belvoir.

In this paper, we propose a treatment-derived qualitative strategy for examining written narratives created through therapeutic encounters in trauma-informed care. This investigation involves the analysis of ten trauma monologues written by military veterans participating in a treatment program that uses dramatic verse as its therapeutic foundation.

The arts are fundamental to our humanity. They ennoble and inspire us—fostering creativity, goodness, and beauty. The arts bring us joy, help us express our values, and build bridges between cultures. The arts are also a fundamental component of a healthy community—strengthening them socially, educationally, and economically—benefits that persist even in difficult social and economic times.

A collaboration between AFTA’s National Initiative on Arts & Health and the Military and the Local Arts Advancement departments, Arts Deployed is a guide for arts organizations and artists interested in bringing creative arts programming to military and Veteran communities, their caregivers, and families.

Ten Reasons to Support the Arts - 2017 update

Highlights from the 2015 public opinion poll, Americans Speak Out About the Arts, conducted by Ipsos on behalf of Americans for the Arts. 

"Our findings suggest that the association and projection fibers interconnecting fronto-parieto-temporal region, for example, CCG/CAB, SLF, and UNC; and fronto-subcortical regions, for example, ATR, are particularly vulnerable to military-related blast injury, where the compromised circuits have significant effects on the functional outcome of chronic mTBI patients. Furthermore, high frequency of blast exposures may deflect negatively normal aging trajectories of white matter integrity. However, longitudinal study with follow-up scans is needed to validate these findings. Nevertheless,

"Results indicate that free art-making in this context significantly lowered negative affect and improved positive affect and self-efficacy. Improved affect was also moderately correlated with improved self-efficacy. There was no difference between groups based on prior experience with art-making, gender, age, or race/ethnicity. Content themes from the participants’ artwork were very diverse including references to nature, people, activities, memories, and abstract explorations of colors and shapes."

"In this paper we presented a case study of the ongoing process of healing for an active duty military service member with symptoms of chronic PTSD and mild TBI. Using multiple data sources we identified how the patient overcame resistance to treatment and used art therapy and acupuncture to externalize and manage recurring intrusive images and traumatic memories. In addition, the study highlights the applications of non-verbal therapies like art therapy to help patients who are unable to express themselves through traditional talk therapies, as well as the ways in which multiple

"Increased anticipatory responses to unpredictable threat in distinct vmPFC subregions were uniquely associated with elevated hyperarousal and re-experiencing symptoms in combat veterans. These results underscore the disruptive impact of uncertainty for veterans, and suggest that investigating individual differences in discrete aspects of PTSD may advance our understanding of underlying neurobiological mechanisms."