harvard veterans

The Hidden Toll of Toxic Leadership on Military Minds and Families: A Neuroscientific and Psychological Perspective | Melanie Boling, Boling Expeditionary Research

The Hidden Toll of Toxic Leadership on Military Minds and Families: A Neuroscientific and Psychological Perspective | Melanie Boling, Boling Expeditionary Research

Objective. This paper examines the neurobiological and psychological consequences of toxic leadership in the U.S. military for service members, spouses, and children.

Method. Drawing upon neuroscience, psychology, and epidemiological data—including Department of Defense suicide reports and Family Advocacy Program statistics—this review synthesizes evidence of chronic stress, moral injury, family dysfunction, and intergenerational trauma caused by destructive command climates.

Results. Toxic leadership disrupts hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis regulation, heightens amygdala threat reactivity, reduces prefrontal control, and damages hippocampal integrity. Service members experience depression, anxiety, suicidality, and physical illness. Spouses suffer secondary traumatic stress, somatic illness, and suicide risk. Children endure disrupted attachment, altered neural development, and epigenetic vulnerability. Epidemiological data demonstrate the scope: 523 service-member suicides in 2023, 146 family-member suicides in 2022, 8,298 documented domestic abuse cases in 2023, and more than 500 intimate partner violence–related homicides and suicides between 2012 and 2022.

Conclusion. Toxic leadership is a systemic health hazard, comparable in severity to combat trauma. Addressing it requires leadership accountability, trauma-informed family support, and recognition of its intergenerational consequences.

Keywords: toxic leadership, moral injury, HPA axis, military families, neuroscience, intergenerational trauma

Haunted Identities | Melanie Boling, Boling Expeditionary Research

Haunted Identities | Melanie Boling, Boling Expeditionary Research

Individuals with Cluster B personality disorders—including Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), Histrionic Personality Disorder (HPD), and Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD)—are overrepresented among stalkers and harassers of former partners. A subset of these individuals not only persist in intrusive behaviors but also engage in mimetic identity disturbance: adopting the style, appearance, and behaviors of their ex-partner’s new romantic interest. Beyond this, some attempt to reshape their new romantic partner into a facsimile of their ex, recreating lost dynamics. These behaviors reflect profound identity diffusion, unstable attachment, and neurobiological dysregulation in frontolimbic, dopaminergic, and mirror-neuron systems. Victims of such dynamics often experience trauma, identity violation, and boundary collapse. This paper integrates neuroscience, clinical psychology, and forensic evidence to analyze the dual dynamics of mimicry and partner re-creation, and outlines therapeutic and legal responses.

The Effects of Women Enablers and the Perpetuation of Cluster B Personality Disorder Abuse | Melanie Boling, Boling Expeditionary Research

The Effects of Women Enablers and the Perpetuation of Cluster B Personality Disorder Abuse | Melanie Boling, Boling Expeditionary Research

Drawing from neuroscience, psychology, and psychopathology, we explore how the dysregulated brain circuits of Cluster B individuals (including hyperactivation of the amygdala, hypoactivity in the prefrontal cortex, and disruptions in the mirror neuron system) interact with the psychological vulnerabilities of enablers. Neurobiological stress responses in victims, including chronic dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and maladaptive fear conditioning, are analyzed as mechanisms by which enablers inadvertently reinforce maladaptive behaviors.

We also consider the dynamics of institutional betrayal, particularly in law enforcement and organizational settings, where women in enabling roles may normalize, minimize, or dismiss abuse. This interdisciplinary synthesis emphasizes the need for a paradigm shift in both clinical and societal responses to Cluster B-related abuse, recognizing enablers as critical actors in maintaining cycles of harm.

The Effects of Borderline Personality Disorder in Extreme Environments | Melanie Boling, Boling Expeditionary Research

The Effects of Borderline Personality Disorder in Extreme Environments | Melanie Boling, Boling Expeditionary Research

Comorbid histrionic personality disorder (HPD) traits can exacerbate these issues. HPD is defined by excessive attention-seeking, dramatic emotional expression, and sexually provocative behavior . Individuals with histrionic traits crave being at the center of attention and may feel unappreciated or anxious when they are not. They often exhibit flirtatious or inappropriately sexual behavior and rapidly shifting, shallow emotions that may appear insincere . When BPD and HPD co-occur, the person not only experiences intense unstable emotions (BPD) but also has a strong drive to attract attention and approval (HPD). This combination can manifest in manipulative or seductive interpersonal styles, rooted in deep fears of abandonment and a need for validation.

The Effects of Malignant Narcissism in Extreme Environments on Brain and Behavior | Melanie Boling, Boling Expeditionary Research

The Effects of Malignant Narcissism in Extreme Environments on Brain and Behavior | Melanie Boling, Boling Expeditionary Research

Malignant narcissism (MN) describes a syndromal configuration at the severe end of pathological narcissism that combines narcissistic personality pathology with antisocial features, ego‑syntonic aggression/sadism, and paranoid tendencies. In isolated, confined, and extreme (ICE) settings—e.g., combat units, polar stations, undersea habitats, and spacecraft—MN traits pose outsized risks to team safety, mission performance, and ethical decision‑making.

“Anything of value is worth the effort””
— Melanie Boling