PHIT for Duty

Post-traumatic stress, insomnia and substance abuse have been identified as risks for persons exposed to psychological trauma, such as death of a friend or loved-one, accidental injury, sexual assault, combat operations, and military deployments. Among the methods to address these health concerns, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) techniques, such as relaxation breathing and mindfulness meditation, have shown efficacy in reducing symptoms and improving mental health. CAM reducing have been found useful both as adjuncts to conventional clinical treatments and as personal self-help resources.

For wellness assessment, brief screening questionnaires are provided for stress, anxiety, sleep quality, depression, and alcohol use. Feedback is provided on health risk. Those with high risk are advised to consult a clinical provider for a professional assessment.

For wellness improvement, PHIT for Duty provide several self-help options:

(1) Mindfulness-based relaxation training, with both knowledge and skills acquisition components, modeled after mindfulness stress relaxation courses given by universities and practitioners. Brief weekly slideshows provide information on mindfulness concepts and their relation the meditation practices. A Series of meditation practices is provided over a six-week course, including body scans, sitting meditations, and other relaxing practices.

(2) Direct access to all mindfulness training materials and meditation practices.

(3) Relaxing music and sounds to support sleep and enhance meditation practice

(4) A six-week sleep intervention modeled after an established PTSD sleep therapy program

(5) Facts on alcohol use, and behavior suggestions for reducing alcohol consumption

While PHIT for Duty provides self-assessment of psychological wellness, all such information is stored within the app and not transferred to any other location.

Disclaimer: The mobile app is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical assessment, diagnosis, advice, or treatment. The content, including any text, graphics, images, and other material contained in this mobile app are for educational purposes only. While evidence-based materials and exercises have been used in app development, efficacy of the integrated content and exercises as provided via this app has not been established. THIS APPLICATION, AND ANY ASSOCIATED MATERIALS, DO NOT OFFER MEDICAL ADVICE, AND ARE NOT INTENDED TO CONSITUTE PROFESSIONAL ADVICE FOR MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS OR TREATMENT. If you have any concerns about your health or use of this mobile app, please contact your primary care physician or other health professional.