Traumatic Grief among African American Soldiers Exposed to Combat: Implications for Social Work Education

Abstract

Grief and loss issues are major concerns that trauma-affected African American service personnel may present to social workers. MSW graduate degree programs typically include context-specific and evidence-based training specific to the practice of effective work with families adversely affected by the same. Unfortunately, very little has appeared in the literature regarding either the content or the method for teaching grief and loss counseling in these preparation programs. According to the Congressional Quarterly Weekly, more U.S. servicemen committed suicide than were killed in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq in 2010.

Keywords:

• Posttraumatic stress disorder
• African American military combat personnel
• social work education

Notes

Please note that the terms African American, and Black are used interchangeably throughout this article.