Please read the following article excerpt and then answer the 2 questions below:
Field combat stress clinics and research have identified the signature event that precedes thoughts of suicide and homicide in combat soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan: a distressing personal relationship event with a stateside partner. In response to this alarming information, we have identified critical factors and precipitating incidents as well as critical social skills that form the basis for changing communication between soldiers and their stateside partners. A pilot program is described that proved effective with small groups of soldiers who were led by a male-female professional team and given structured reading and social skills training exercises based on Gottman and Silver's (1999) book The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work. Recommendations for future training are made based upon our assessment of the family issues facing the combat soldier in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Citation: Gottman, J. M., Gottman, J. S., Atkins, C. L. (2011). A comprehensive soldier fitness program: family skills component. American Psychologist, 66 (1), 52-57.
1. Identify the behavioral trend that the authors are describing in this paragraph.
The behavioral trend is thoughts of suicide and homicide in soldiers who have been in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.
1. Briefly describe why this trend might have an impact on applied research in psychology.
This trend might impact applied research in psychology by indicating that more research needs to be done when it comes to maintaining psychological health of soldiers in combat. This information might lead to reduction in deployment times, and also calls for more applied research to be done on interpersonal relationships within the military and the relationships the soldiers have outside the military as well.