The article by Walker et al. (2017) titled “Active-Duty Military Service Members’ Visual Representations of PTSD and TBI in Masks” describes the study aimed to identify potential mental disorders in the active-duty military. As a research problem, the development of PTSD and other mood issues is proposed to be evaluated as the consequences of mission-related TBI. The intervention implies involving the target group of 370 participants and organizing a mask-making session. The researchers state that such work allows determining the individual traits of each member of the study and analyzing the characteristic features of created masks in conjunction with documented therapeutic data (Walker et al., 2017). The study has made it possible to determine what motives drive the active-duty military when making masks. The findings related to the issues of culture, self-identity, self-awareness, and other personal aspects have helped identify the participants’ individual traits and develop potentially effective interventions aimed to assist military personnel in adapting to life.
The article under consideration offers a unique method of interacting with the target audience and can be valuable from a practical perspective in addressing the problems of military personnel with mental disorders. Applying a grounded theory as a basic approach to research is a convenient and correct solution since interaction with real people is assumed. The art session utilized as an intervention is an effective practice of assessing the individual characteristics of each participant involved due to an opportunity to reflect on one’s personal characteristics. The application of the results of this study in a real environment can help support military personnel at risk of developing mental and mood disorders caused by mission-related TBI. The theoretical base involved allows presenting the relevant justifications objectively, and the study is credible and valid.
Reference
Walker, M. S., Kaimal, G., Gonzaga, A. M., Myers-Coffman, K. A., & DeGraba, T. J. (2017). Active-duty military service members’ visual representations of PTSD and TBI in masks. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being, 12(1), 1267317. Web.