An Effective Nutritional Program to Treat Burnout/Resiliency/PTSD in Military Personnel

Abstract: Burnout in military personnel has been well studied and documented, but a successful and viable treatment protocol has not been established. This article will review the results of a viable nutritional supplementation program to treat Burnout and the associated conditions of Resiliency and PTSD. PTSD is estimated to account for 20-39% of all cases seen by the Veterans Administration and to affect 12-19% of returning service personnel from deployment. While research has shown a link between Burnout, Resiliency and PTSD and the biochemistry of the body, none of the military’s present treatment strategies have successfully addressed these issues. Present treatment protocols for Burnout, Resiliency and PTSD include; maintaining physical exercise, finding meaning and purpose in work, practicing religion and spirituality, developing coping skills, sustaining social support, practicing mind-body techniques, medications, practicing sound sleep routines and cognitive behavioral therapy. Clinical lab testing of hormones and neurotransmitters has already been proven to be a reliable indicator for an increased risk of Burnout, Resiliency and/or PTSD. This study demonstrates how nutritional supplementation, based on clinical lab testing, improves Burnout scores by 41%; original Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) questionnaire mean score of -13.13 and a ninety (90) day MBI questionnaire score of 0.88. The results were significant upon evaluation by the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test at p<0.01. Two (2) participants (12.5%), achieved a No Burnout status while another two (2) participants, (12.5%) achieved a Burnout ranking of mild upon completion of the program. This program has the added benefits of being deployable, expandable, and a high compliancy rate; all of which are necessary to be effective for military implementation.