Women Veterans in the 21st Century: Understanding Their Unique Mental Health Needs and Optimizing Gender Sensitive Care

Jennifer Strauss, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University and National Women¿s Mental Health Program Manager, Mental Health Services, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. In her current role with VA Mental Health Services, she contributes to VA policy recommendations and their implementation and oversight, as related to women veterans¿ mental health. Her primary areas of interest and content expertise include women¿s mental health, posttraumatic stress disorder, military sexual trauma, and the integration of complementary and alternative techniques and evidence-based therapies.Dr. Jennifer Runnals is a Research Psychologist at the Durham VAMC and Medical Instructor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University. Her clinical and research focus is health-related sequelae of PTSD, in particular co-morbidity of PTSD and chronic pain, and aspects of women¿s mental healthcare.