Supporting Mental Health Through Federal EAP

Mental health challenges affect millions of people and veterans are particularly vulnerable due to the unique stresses they endure during their service. From combat exposure to the strains of reintegrating into civilian life, veterans often face complex emotional and psychological hurdles. Many return from active duty with experiences that can manifest as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, or other mental health issues.

EAP Support for Veterans

It is essential to provide veterans with the support they need to maintain mental well-being, especially within the workplace. Since Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) are a mandated benefit for federal employees, promoting EAP access is an ideal starting point. This can be especially beneficial for those transitioning back to civilian life. It is often a complex and emotional process where balancing work responsibilities, family obligations, and personal health can feel overwhelming.

EAP offerings are tailored to meet the diverse needs of veterans, who comprise nearly 30% of the federal workforce. Not only do veterans receive services, but so do their household members, ensuring that the support extends beyond the individual to their family—a vital aspect for those balancing family life with work.

For veterans, EAP services can include:

1. Non-Medical Counseling: Veterans struggling with PTSD, depression, anxiety, or stress can access short-term counseling with licensed professionals. These confidential sessions provide a safe space for veterans to discuss their concerns without fear of judgment or repercussions. For long-term mental health needs, EAP is available to facilitate referrals and connections to behavioral health resources through their medical carrier, community resources, and services designed for veterans.
2. Work-Life Balance Resources: Veterans who manage the pressures of work and family can turn to EAP services for support in finding childcare, elder care, or even home repair services. These resources help reduce the stress of juggling multiple responsibilities, allowing veterans to focus on their work while ensuring their personal lives are in order.
3. Crisis Support: In times of acute stress or crisis, veterans can call on their EAP to access immediate support. Whether it’s managing a family emergency or dealing with a mental health crisis, help is just a phone call away.

The Importance of Early Intervention

Early intervention is key to managing mental health challenges. For veterans, reaching out to an EAP resource at the first sign of emotional distress can make all the difference in preventing long-term issues. EAPs are designed to be accessible and flexible, offering support before problems escalate. Employers should promote their EAP services, especially with veterans, to help them access a wide range of resources, empowering them to take control of their mental health in a way that fits into their work and life schedules, mitigating issues before they impact work performance.

Conclusion

Veterans bring valuable skills and experience to the federal workforce and need attention and care for their unique mental health challenges. By encouraging veterans to utilize federal EAP services, veterans have access to a range of supportive services and resources that can help them maintain their well-being. Federal EAPs are not just a lifeline—they are a pathway to lasting wellness for veterans and their families that may also improve overall business outcomes.

Exploring Music in Non-Medical Counseling Sessions

Music has a long history within the military as a method of addressing morale. The consistently positive response to music has led to research seeking to determine if it can be used in a therapeutic approach for Service members. (Gooding & Langston, 2019) Although music exploration is often associated with soothing melodies and uplifting lyrics, it also provides a valuable opportunity to explore and address negative emotions through music. This is because the exploration of negative emotions via music helps normalize and transform them into something healthier. Service members often train themselves to compartmentalize negative emotions in intense situations and can sometimes have difficulty engaging with emotions. This can lead to a sense of emotional blunting where the individual is aware that they have emotional discomfort but are unable to express the depth of their emotion or engage it in a way that allows effective processing. Listening to music is an activity that can assist individuals with emotional expression and establish coping skills. From creative expressions to the increasing availability of “rage rooms,” we are seeing an increase in techniques that utilize external expression, not just internal dialogue. Here are a few reasons why you may want to incorporate music in your next non-medical counseling session.

Music Can Facilitate Emotional Expression

An “emotion” playlist can be an example of this outward expression. Encouraging an individual to develop a list of songs they associate with certain feelings can assist in creating a safe space for them to experience said emotions. Studies have shown a correlation between music and brain activation in regions associated with emotion, reward, and cognitive processes (Fuentes-Sanchez, 2021). By utilizing a format that is designed to evoke specific emotions, we can provide clients with a way to feel more comfortable in emotional engagement. This method can be effective in situations where the individual states difficulty describing their emotions, feels that they have difficulty feeling emotions to the same extent as others, or describes an emotional numbness that feels inappropriate to them. By providing a structure or atmosphere where a specific emotion is being portrayed, it gives an experiential example that can limit some of the risks that accompany vulnerability.

Music Encourages Introspection

Listening to music in a safe space allows people to, in effect, practice their emotions. A recent study with the U.S. military utilizing a phased music exploration included lyric analysis as a prompt for introspection of life circumstances. Participant comments included “moving forward emotionally,” “I found something in me that was lost.” (Vetro-Kalseth,2021, p.449) While this study included a focus on songwriting, it does provide an illustration of how we connect emotionally with music. Hartman and Conklin (2009) state that songs can be “a medium where feelings, emotions, values, dreams, fears, and hopes are expressed” and can assist those who are unable to express “eloquently and succinctly to discover and express something about their true self through the use of that music’s lyrics” (p.50).

Music Opens Lines of Communication

Music can facilitate communication by allowing individuals to process their feelings, become comfortable with emotional expression, and learn to recognize their own emotions more clearly. Writing lyrics is a unique expression of emotion that allows the Service member to creatively capture thoughts or feelings, which can be cathartic.

Additional benefits of incorporating music into a non-medical counseling session include being able to limit the time of a playlist, being able to arrange an appropriately supportive environment, and being able to have more say in when those emotions can be addressed safely. This can help prevent emotional overflow in situations that would be damaging or dangerous to the client. Music exploration is not a solution for everyone, but it’s a great alternative to try for Service members and military families.

References

Gooding, Lori F.; Langston, Diane G.; Journal of Music Therapy, Vol 56(4), Win 2019 pp. 315-347. Publisher: Oxford University Press; [Journal Article]; DOI: 10.1093/jmt/thz010, Database: APA PsycInfo

Fuentes‐Sánchez, Nieves; Pastor, Raúl; Escrig, Miguel A.; Elipe‐Miravet, Marcel; Pastor, M. Carmen. Psychophysiology. Sep2021, Vol. 58 Issue 9, p1-17. DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13884. , Database: SPORTDiscus with Full Text

Hartman, Nathan S.; Conklin, Thomas A. Organization Management Journal (Palgrave Macmillan Ltd.). Spring2009, Vol. 6 Issue 1, p48-57. 10p. 2 Diagrams, 3 Charts. DOI: 10.1057/omj.2009.7. , Database: Business Source Ultimate

Vetro-Kalseth, Danielle; Vaudreuil, Rebecca; Segall, Lorna E. Military Psychology. Nov/Dec 2021, Vol. 33 Issue 6, p446-452. 7p. DOI: 10.1080/08995605.2021.1962194. , Database: Military & Government Collection