Life Coach: The Only Evidence-Based PTSD/Suicide Intervention Is Blocked By NIMH From Scientific Review

NIMH Blocked the only Evidence-Based program process for PTSD/Suicide from Scientific Review.

Despite an unprecedented crisis in military suicidality, the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) rejected the only evidence-based proposal - the SR process - to cure post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suicide in the U.S. Army.

The rejection shocked proposal scientists, former Marine officer, combat veteran and psychotherapist Dr. Ron Clark, the Principal Investigator (PI), and former USAF officer, psychologist and co-PI Dr. Jeff Litchford.

The SR process proposed by the doctors has a record of success over its 25 year history, and has established itself as the only evidence-based program process in mental health. The model, referred to by Dr. Clark and Litchford as "Subconscious Restructuring (SR)," is well-suited as the program of choice to overcome PTSD/suicidality problems of combat-returning U.S. Army military personnel and their families. It teaches depressed, traumatized and suicidal service personnel and their families how to restructure their subconscious, and replace dysfunctional components with more appropriate goal-oriented words, pictures, thoughts, emotions and behaviors. When symptoms of depression are present, as in the case of PTSD and suicidality, the Burris SR intervention is especially effective.

No evidence-based program processes were funded in 2007, when $277 million was dispersed via CDMRP to address PTSD and TBI. 2008 became a record setting year for military suicides with 2009 on track for setting another record.

The SR intervention begins with a rich data collection and baselining component inherent in three time-proven instruments, and it quickly develops individual skill in subconscious intervention and control over depressive thought processes. Subconscious mapping and the use of empowering questions allow participants to develop a strong, enduring methodology of subconscious restructuring, as traumatic, depressive, and dysfunctional thoughts, fears, guilt, shame and anger are replaced with more appropriate personal goal-oriented constructs.

Through the course of explaining the research plan, the translational epidemiology, and how the problem would ultimately be fixed, NIMH did not recognize the document - a Depression Checklist - proposed for use, as the primary instrument for data collection. The checklist is widely used by those who treat PTSD/suicide to monitor depression, which experts agree is the primary symptom of PTSD and suicidality.

NIMH discounted depression as the most significant issue by stating, "It is not what we would call a strong risk factor."

When the developer of the SR process, inquired as to why the proposal was rejected, NIMH stated it did "not believe the model proposal matched the requirements of the RFA."

It is time to start holding NIMH the mental health system and all who work in this industry accountable for the results they produce. The developer of SR has been held accountable since the introduction of Subconscious Restructuring into psychiatric care in 1990 and calls on everyone else in this industry to join the scientific community.