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OBJECTIVE: Attachment style and social support networks (SSN) are associated with suicide ideation (SI) and suicide attempt (SA). How these two factors interact is important to understanding the mechanisms of risk for suicidal behaviors and identifying interventions. METHOD: Using the Army Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers New Soldier Study (N = 38,507 soldiers), we examined how three attachment styles (preoccupied, fearful, and secure) and SSN (smaller vs larger) were associated with lifetime SI, SA, and SA among soldiers with SI. The interaction of each attachment style by SSN was examined. RESULTS: All three attachment styles were associated with SI and SA in the total sample (for SA: preoccupied OR = 2.82, fearful OR = 2.84, and secure OR = 0.76). Preoccupied and fearful attachment were associated with SA among suicide ideators. Smaller SSN was associated with a higher risk for all three outcomes (range of ORs = 1.23-1.52). The association of SSN with SI and with SA among suicide ideators was significantly modified by the presence or absence of preoccupied attachment style. Among soldiers without preoccupied attachment, larger SSN was associated with lower risk of SI. Among suicide ideators with preoccupied attachment, a larger SSN was associated with lower risk of SA. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the need for increased understanding of the role of attachment style and social networks in suicide risk, in particular preoccupied attachment among soldiers with SI. A critical next step is to explore these relationships prospectively to guide intervention development.
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INTRODUCTION: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic disrupted U.S. Military operations and potentially compounded the risk for adverse mental health outcomes by layering unique occupational stress on top of general restrictions, fears, and concerns. The objective of the current study was to characterize the prevalence of COVID-19 concerns and information needs, demographic disparities in these outcomes, and the degree to which COVID-19 concerns and information needs were associated with heightened risk for adverse mental health outcomes among U.S. Army soldiers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Command-directed anonymous surveys were administered electronically to U.S. soldiers assigned to one of three regional commands in the Northwest United States, Europe, and Asia-Pacific Region. Surveys were administered in May to June 2020 to complete (time 1: n = 21,294) and again in December 2020 to January 2021 (time 2: n = 10,861). Only active duty or active reservists/national guard were eligible to participate. Members from other branches of service were also not eligible. RESULTS: Highly prevalent COVID-19 concerns included the inability to spend time with friends/family, social activities, and changing rules, regulations, and guidance related to COVID-19. Some information needs were endorsed by one quarter or more soldiers at both time points, including stress management/coping, travel, how to protect oneself, and maintaining mission readiness. COVID-19 concerns and information needs were most prevalent among non-White soldiers. Concerns and information needs did not decline overall between the assessments. Finally, COVID-19 concerns were associated with greater risk of multiple adverse mental health outcomes at both time points. CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 concerns and information needs were prevalent and showed little evidence of decrement over the course of the first 6 months of the pandemic. COVID-19 concerns were consistently associated with adverse mental health outcomes. These data highlight two targets and potential demographic subgroups such that local leadership and Army medicine and public health enterprises can be better prepared to monitor and address to maintain force health and readiness in the face of possible future biomedical threats.
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COVID-19 , Personal Militar , Humanos , Estados Unidos/epidemiología , COVID-19/epidemiología , Evaluación de Resultado en la Atención de Salud , Europa (Continente)RESUMEN
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly impacted employment and finances, childcare, and behavioral health across the United States. The Behavioral Health Advisory Team assessed the pandemic's impact on the behavioral health of U.S. Army soldiers and their families. Over 20,000 soldiers at three large installation groups headquartered in the northwestern continental U.S., Republic of Korea, and Germany participated in the cross-sectional survey. Multivariable logistic regression models indicated that key demographics (gender, rank), severity of household financial impact, changes in work situation due to childcare issues, and family members' difficulty coping (both self and spouse/partner and/or child) were independently and consistently associated with greater odds of screening positive for probable clinical depression and generalized anxiety, respectively. These findings highlight how Army families were impacted similarly by the pandemic as their civilian counterparts. Army leadership may action these findings with targeted support for soldiers and their families to ensure they are utilizing supportive services available to them, and that military services continually evolve to meet soldier and family needs during times of crisis and beyond.
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COVID-19 , Personal Militar , Humanos , COVID-19/epidemiología , Estudios Transversales , Composición Familiar , Personal Militar/psicología , Pandemias , Estados Unidos/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: The purpose was to examine five types of adversity and their associations with separating from military service among a nationally representative sample of U.S. National Guard and Reserve (NGR) service members. METHODS: Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the association between separating from the service and adversities, and demographic differences in adversities experienced among those who had separated from the service and those who stayed in the service. RESULTS: Those who left the military were more likely to report financial (OR = 1.65, 95% CI = 1.01-2.70) and healthcare access problems (OR = 2.21, 95% CI = 1.10-4.46). Among those who left the military, female service members were more likely to experience interpersonal adversity (OR = 4.28, 95% CI = 1.15-15.87), and Army and Marine service members were more likely to experience job-employment adversity (OR = 4.92, 95% CI = 1.50-16.12) and financial adversity (OR = 6.46, 95% CI = 1.22-34.33). CONCLUSION: Separating service members experience financial adversity and challenges with healthcare access. Interpersonal difficulties are particularly experienced by female service members, and job/employment difficulties experienced by Army and Marine veterans. Continued efforts are needed to facilitate service delivery for NGR separating service members who need them.
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Personal Militar , Suicidio , Veteranos , Humanos , Femenino , Estados UnidosRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Previous studies have documented the impact of domain-specific leadership behaviors on targeted health outcomes in employees. The goal of the present study was to determine the association between specific leadership behaviors addressing COVID-19 and US soldiers' mental health and adherence to COVID-19 public health guidelines. METHODS: An electronic, anonymous survey was administered to US Army soldiers across three major commands (N = 7,829) from December 2020 to January 2021. The primary predictor of interest was soldiers' ratings of their immediate supervisors' behaviors related to COVID-19. The outcomes were soldiers' mental health (i.e., depression and generalized anxiety) and adherence to COVID-19 public health guidelines. Covariates were rank, gender, ratings of immediate supervisors' general leadership, level of COVID-19 concerns, and COVID-19 status (e.g., tested positive, became seriously ill). Logistic regressions were used to model the unique association of COVID-19 leadership behaviors with outcomes after adjusting for covariates. RESULTS: High levels of COVID-19 leadership behaviors were associated with lesser likelihood of soldiers' screening positive for depression (AOR = 0.46; 95% CI [0.39, 0.54]) and anxiety (AOR = 0.54; 95% CI [0.45, 0.64]), and greater likelihood of frequent adherence to preventive health guidelines (AORs = 1.58; 95% CI [1.39, 1.80] to 2.50; 95% CI [2.01, 3.11]). CONCLUSION: Higher levels of COVID-19 leadership behaviors may support soldiers' mental health and encourage their adherence to COVID-19 public health guidelines. Given the link between these leader behaviors and soldier adaptation to the pandemic over and above general leadership, training for supervisors should focus on targeting specific health-promoting behaviors. Results can inform leader training for the military and other high-risk occupations.
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COVID-19 , Personal Militar , Humanos , Liderazgo , Salud Mental , Personal Militar/psicología , Salud PúblicaRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: For decades confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) has been the preeminent method to study the underlying structure of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); however, methodological limitations of CFA have led to the emergence of other analytic approaches. In particular, network analysis has become a gold standard to investigate the structure and relationships between PTSD symptoms. A key methodological limitation, however, which has significant clinical implications, is the lack of data on the potential impact of item order effects on the conclusions reached through network analyses. METHODS: The current study, involving a large sample (N = 5055) of active duty army soldiers following deployment to Iraq, assessed the vulnerability of network analyses and prevalence rate to item order effects. This was done by comparing symptom networks of the DSM-IV PTSD checklist items to these same items distributed in random order. Half of the participants rated their symptoms on traditionally ordered items and half the participants rated the same items, but in random order and interspersed between items from other validated scales. Differences in prevalence rate and network composition were examined. RESULTS: The prevalence rate differed between the ordered and random item samples. Network analyses using the ordered survey closely replicated the conclusions reached in the existing network analyses literature. However, in the random item survey, network composition differed considerably. CONCLUSION: Order effects appear to have a significant impact on conclusions reached from PTSD network analysis. Prevalence rates were also impacted by order effects. These findings have important diagnostic and clinical treatment implications.
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Personal Militar , Trastornos por Estrés Postraumático , Humanos , Trastornos por Estrés Postraumático/epidemiología , Formación de Concepto , Manual Diagnóstico y Estadístico de los Trastornos Mentales , Análisis FactorialRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE To compare symptoms of compromised behavioral health (BH symptoms) and factors protecting against those symptoms (protective factors) in military veterinary and nonveterinary health-care personnel deployed to Afghanistan. DESIGN Cross-sectional survey. SAMPLE 237 deployed military health-care personnel (21 veterinary and 216 nonveterinary). PROCEDURES Surveys were administered to participants during combat deployment in Afghanistan in 2013 to collect information on BH symptoms and protective factors. Data were compared between veterinary and nonveterinary health-care personnel by use of regression models controlling for demographic characteristics and deployment experiences. Partial correlations were computed to assess relationships between protective factors and BH symptoms, controlling for personnel type. RESULTS Less than 15% of veterinary and nonveterinary health-care personnel were at risk for suicidal ideation, major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder. After adjusting for covariates, both personnel types had similar levels of depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and anxiety symptoms; however, veterinary personnel reported more distressing secondary traumatic stress symptoms and a greater number of anger reactions. Self-care, team support, and perceived supportive leadership were inversely associated with BH symptoms regardless of personnel type. Veterinary personnel engaged in less self-care, provided less team care, and rated leadership behaviors less positively than nonveterinary health-care personnel. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Compared with nonveterinary health-care personnel, deployed veterinary personnel were at greater risk of generalized anxiety disorder and reported more secondary traumatic stress and anger reactions, but were less likely to be engaged in and exposed to protective factors. Interventions designed to promote self-care and team support for veterinary personnel and their leaders may reduce the occupational risk of BH symptoms in deployment and perhaps other settings.
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Trastornos de Combate , Trastornos Mentales/psicología , Personal Militar/psicología , Trastornos por Estrés Postraumático , Veterinarios/psicología , Campaña Afgana 2001- , Trastornos de Ansiedad , Estudios Transversales , Trastorno Depresivo Mayor , Femenino , Personal de Salud/psicología , Humanos , Masculino , Ideación Suicida , Encuestas y CuestionariosRESUMEN
Objective: The present study investigated the association between previous deployment experience and somatic symptoms, mental health, unit climate perceptions, anger, and risk taking among junior-enlisted soldiers who were preparing to deploy or who were in garrison, or home duty station. The study also investigated potential differences in these variables based on unit leader deployment history. Method: Soldiers in a combat unit were surveyed either in a predeployment (n = 1,554; one week before deployment) or garrison setting (n = 1,326). Surveys addressed deployment history, health, unit climate, and leader deployment history. Results: Those in the predeployment sample with deployment history had significantly more somatic symptoms, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), sleep problems, and anger reactions, and significantly less favorable unit climate perceptions, compared to those without deployment history. Higher rates of sleep problems, anger reactions, and endorsement of a risk-taking item, along with less favorable unit climate perceptions, were also reported by experienced soldiers in the garrison sample. In both samples, soldiers with experienced leaders endorsed more risk-taking behaviors than those with inexperienced leaders. Predeployment soldiers with experienced leaders also reported higher unit cohesion than those with inexperienced leaders. Conclusions: Previous deployments appear to increase the risk for a range of outcomes reported by soldiers at predeployment and in garrison. Findings suggest the impact of deployment should be considered well beyond the traditional deployment phases. Future research should examine what experienced leaders bring to units, in terms of boosting cohesion and potentially increasing the willingness of unit members to engage in risk-taking behaviors.
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BACKGROUND: Studies of medical staff members have consistently documented high levels of burnout compared to those in other professions. Although there are studies of burnout in military medical staff, there are gaps in understanding the experience of medical staff while they are deployed and few occupationally-related factors associated with decreased burnout have been identified in this population. PURPOSE: To assess work-related variables accounting for burnout over and above rank, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and professional stressors in the deployed environment. METHODS: U.S. military medical staff members were surveyed in Afghanistan. The survey assessed burnout (emotional exhaustion and depersonalization), PTSD symptoms, perception of professional stressors, self-care behaviors, taking care of team members (team care), general leadership, and health-promoting leadership. Participants provided informed consent under a protocol approved by the institutional review board at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, and coordinated through the Washington Headquarters Service and the Joint Casualty Care Research Team located in Afghanistan. A total of 344 individuals provided their consent (83.3%) and completed the survey. RESULTS: Correlations found significant positive relationships between perception of professional stressors and levels of burnout. Significant negative correlations were found between burnout and self-care, team care, general leadership, and health-promoting leadership. Regression analyses found self-care and team care accounted for less burnout even after controlling for rank, PTSD symptoms, and professional stressors. Health-promoting leadership accounted for less burnout even after controlling for these same covariates and general leadership as well. CONCLUSION: Although a cross-sectional survey, results provide three specific directions for reducing burnout in deployed medical staff. By emphasizing self-care, team care, and health-promoting leadership, policy makers, researchers, and leaders can address factors that influence burnout in this, and other occupational contexts. In addition, the constructs of team care and leadership offer novel contributions to the study of burnout in medical personnel.
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Agotamiento Profesional/psicología , Personal Militar/psicología , Estrés Psicológico/psicología , Adolescente , Adulto , Campaña Afgana 2001- , Afganistán , Agotamiento Profesional/etnología , Estudios Transversales , Femenino , Personal de Salud/psicología , Humanos , Liderazgo , Modelos Lineales , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Psicometría/instrumentación , Psicometría/métodos , Autocuidado , Trastornos por Estrés Postraumático/diagnóstico , Estrés Psicológico/etnología , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , Estados Unidos/etnologíaRESUMEN
Can social resilience be trained? We report results of a double-dissociative randomized controlled study in which 48 Army platoons were randomly assigned to social resilience training (intervention condition) or cultural awareness training (active control group). The same surveys were administered to all platoons at baseline and after the completion of training to determine the short-term training effects, generalization effects beyond training, and possible adverse effects. Multilevel modeling analyses indicated that social resilience, compared with cultural awareness, training produced small but significant improvements in social cognition (e.g., increased empathy, perspective taking, & military hardiness) and decreased loneliness, but no evidence was found for social resilience training to generalize beyond these training foci nor to have adverse effects. Moreover, as predicted, cultural awareness, compared with social resilience, training produced increases in knowledge about and decreases in prejudice toward Afghans. Additional research is warranted to determine the long-term durability, safety, and generalizability of social resilience training.
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Soledad/psicología , Personal Militar/psicología , Psicoterapia de Grupo/métodos , Resiliencia Psicológica , Percepción Social , Adulto , Campaña Afgana 2001- , Competencia Cultural , Femenino , Procesos de Grupo , Humanos , Masculino , Personal Militar/educación , Prejuicio , Resultado del Tratamiento , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Studies with members of the armed forces have found a gap between reports of mental health symptoms and treatment-seeking. AIMS: To assess the impact of attitudes on treatment-seeking behaviours in soldiers returning from a combat deployment. METHOD: A sample of 529 US soldiers were surveyed 4 months (time 1) and 12 months (time 2) post-deployment. Mental health symptoms and treatment-seeking attitudes were assessed at time 1; reported mental healthcare visits were assessed at time 2. RESULTS: Factor analysis of the total time 1 sample revealed four attitude factors: professional concerns, practical barriers, preference for self-management and positive attitudes about treatment. For the subset of 160 soldiers reporting a mental health problem at time 1, and controlling for mental health symptom severity, self-management inversely predicted treatment-seeking; positive attitudes were positively related. CONCLUSIONS: Results demonstrate the importance of broadening the conceptualisation of barriers and facilitators of mental healthcare beyond stigma. Techniques and delivery models emphasising self-care may help increase soldiers' interest in using mental health services.
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Personal Militar/psicología , Aceptación de la Atención de Salud/psicología , Estigma Social , Estereotipo , Trastornos por Estrés Postraumático/diagnóstico , Trastornos por Estrés Postraumático/terapia , Adolescente , Adulto , Femenino , Humanos , Modelos Logísticos , Estudios Longitudinales , Masculino , Salud Mental , Escalas de Valoración Psiquiátrica , Psicoterapia , Autocuidado/métodos , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
The impact of stress on mental health in high-risk occupations may be mitigated by organizational factors such as leadership. Studies have documented the impact of general leadership skills on employee performance and mental health. Other researchers have begun examining specific leadership domains that address relevant organizational outcomes, such as safety climate leadership. One emerging approach focuses on domain-specific leadership behaviors that may moderate the impact of combat deployment on mental health. In a recent study, US soldiers deployed to Afghanistan rated leaders on behaviors promoting management of combat operational stress. When soldiers rated their leaders high on these behaviors, soldiers also reported better mental health and feeling more comfortable with the idea of seeking mental health treatment. These associations held even after controlling for overall leadership ratings. Operational stress leader behaviors also moderated the relationship between combat exposure and soldier health. Domain-specific leadership offers an important step in identifying measures to moderate the impact of high-risk occupations on employee health.
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Conducta , Trastornos de Combate/prevención & control , Liderazgo , Personal Militar/psicología , Trastornos por Estrés Postraumático/prevención & control , Humanos , Salud MentalRESUMEN
OBJECTIVES: We characterized trends in mental health services utilization and stigma over the course of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars among active-component US soldiers. METHODS: We evaluated trends in mental health services utilization and stigma using US Army data from the Health-Related Behavior (HRB) surveys from 2002, 2005, and 2008 (n = 12,835) and the Land Combat Study (LCS) surveys administered to soldiers annually from 2003 to 2009 and again in 2011 (n = 22,627). RESULTS: HRB and LCS data suggested increased mental health services utilization and decreased stigma in US soldiers between 2002 and 2011. These trends were evident in soldiers with and without posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder (MDD), or PTSD and MDD. Despite the improving trends, more than half of soldiers with mental health problems did not report seeking care. CONCLUSIONS: Mental health services utilization increased and stigma decreased over the course of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Although promising, these findings indicate that a significant proportion of US soldiers meeting criteria for PTSD or MDD do not utilize mental health services, and stigma remains a pervasive problem requiring further attention.
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Trastorno Depresivo Mayor/epidemiología , Servicios de Salud Mental/estadística & datos numéricos , Personal Militar/psicología , Estigma Social , Trastornos por Estrés Postraumático/epidemiología , Adolescente , Adulto , Campaña Afgana 2001- , Trastorno Depresivo Mayor/diagnóstico , Trastorno Depresivo Mayor/terapia , Femenino , Encuestas Epidemiológicas , Humanos , Guerra de Irak 2003-2011 , Masculino , Trastornos Mentales/epidemiología , Trastornos Mentales/terapia , Factores Socioeconómicos , Trastornos por Estrés Postraumático/diagnóstico , Trastornos por Estrés Postraumático/terapia , Estados Unidos , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
Measurement of functional impairment is a priority for the military and other professional work groups routinely exposed to stressful traumatic events as part of their occupation. Standard measures of impairment used in general or chronically ill populations contain many items not suitable for these populations, and include mental health symptoms items that are not true measures of functioning. We created a new, 14-item scale-the Walter Reed Functional Impairment Scale-to assess functioning in 4 domains (physical, occupational, social, and personal). We asked 3,380 soldiers how much difficulty they currently have in each of the 4 domains on a 5-point scale. Behaviorally based psychosocial and occupational performance measures and general health questions were used to validate the scale. The utility of the scale was assessed against clinical measures of psychopathology and physical health (depression, posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD], general health, generalized physical symptoms). We utilized Cronbach's alpha, item response theory, and the score test for trend to establish consistency of items and the validity of the scale. The scale exhibited excellent reliability (Cronbach's α= 0.92) and validity. The individual items and quartiles of sum scores were strongly correlated with negative occupational and social performance, and the utility of the scale was demonstrated by strong correlations with depression, PTSD, and high levels of generalized physical symptoms. This scale exhibits excellent psychometric properties in this sample of U.S. soldiers and, pending future research, is likely to have utility for other healthy occupational groups.
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Actividades Cotidianas , Empleo , Salud Mental , Personal Militar , Adolescente , Adulto , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Satisfacción Personal , Psicometría , Reproducibilidad de los Resultados , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
Although the Army has recently begun the practice of embedding behavioral health care providers (EBHP) in units in an effort to improve soldier well-being, the efficacy of this practice has not been evaluated. This study assesses 1 of the first programs implemented by the military. Using cross-sectional data obtained from a confidential survey of 12 company-level units in the California Army National Guard (n = 1,132), this study examines differences between units with and without EBHPs across a number of measures. Multilevel analysis of behavioral health symptoms, unit climate, perceptions of stigma, and practical barriers to care failed to detect main effects between units with EBHPs relative to those without. However, cross-level interactions were detected between unit EBHP status and soldiers reporting close relationship (e.g., spouse, girlfriend/boyfriend) impairment. Exploratory findings suggest that, among soldiers reporting close relationship impairment, those belonging to units with EBHPs reported significantly lower behavioral health symptoms and significantly more positive unit climates. Based on these limited exploratory finings, this study suggests that EBHPs in reserve units may have a positive effect on a subset of soldiers (i.e., those reporting close relationship impairment). More assessments of embed programs should be conducted, particularly using prospective longitudinal data among randomized units.
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Depresión/diagnóstico , Accesibilidad a los Servicios de Salud , Personal Militar/estadística & datos numéricos , Estigma Social , Trastornos por Estrés Postraumático/diagnóstico , Adolescente , Adulto , Estudios Transversales , Recolección de Datos , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Estudios Prospectivos , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: This research documents the impact of combat experiences on alcohol use and misuse among National Guard soldiers. Whereas much research regarding combat personnel is based on post-experience data, this study's design uses both pre- and post-deployment data to identify the association between different types of combat experiences and changes in substance use and misuse. METHOD: A National Guard Infantry Brigade Combat Team was surveyed before and after its deployment to Iraq in 2005-2006. Members of the unit completed anonymous surveys regarding behavioral health and alcohol use and, in the post-survey, the combat experiences they had during deployment. The unit was surveyed 3 months prior to its deployment and 3 months after its deployment. RESULTS: Prevalence rates of alcohol use increased from 70.8% pre-deployment to 80.5% post-deployment. Prevalence rates of alcohol misuse more than doubled, increasing from 8.51% before deployment to 19.15% after deployment. However, among the combat experiences examined in this study, changes in alcohol misuse post-deployment appear to be solely affected by the combat experience of killing. Alcohol misuse decreased amongst those who experienced killing during combat. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the role of combat experiences on substance use.
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Consumo de Bebidas Alcohólicas/epidemiología , Personal Militar/psicología , Adolescente , Adulto , Consumo de Bebidas Alcohólicas/psicología , Alcoholismo/epidemiología , Alcoholismo/etiología , Trastornos de Combate/epidemiología , Trastornos de Combate/psicología , Femenino , Encuestas Epidemiológicas , Humanos , Guerra de Irak 2003-2011 , Acontecimientos que Cambian la Vida , Masculino , Personal Militar/estadística & datos numéricos , Prevalencia , Estados Unidos/epidemiología , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Research of military personnel who deployed to the conflicts in Iraq or Afghanistan has suggested that there are differences in mental health outcomes between UK and US military personnel. AIMS: To compare the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), hazardous alcohol consumption, aggressive behaviour and multiple physical symptoms in US and UK military personnel deployed to Iraq. METHOD: Data were from one US (n = 1560) and one UK (n = 313) study of post-deployment military health of army personnel who had deployed to Iraq during 2007-2008. Analyses were stratified by high- and low-combat exposure. RESULTS: Significant differences in combat exposure and sociodemographics were observed between US and UK personnel; controlling for these variables accounted for the difference in prevalence of PTSD, but not in the total symptom level scores. Levels of hazardous alcohol consumption (low-combat exposure: odds ratio (OR) = 0.13, 95% CI 0.07-0.21; high-combat exposure: OR = 0.23, 95% CI 0.14-0.39) and aggression (low-combat exposure: OR = 0.36, 95% CI 0.19-0.68) were significantly lower in US compared with UK personnel. There was no difference in multiple physical symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Differences in self-reported combat exposures explain most of the differences in reported prevalence of PTSD. Adjusting for self-reported combat exposures and sociodemographics did not explain differences in hazardous alcohol consumption or aggression.
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Agresión , Consumo de Bebidas Alcohólicas/epidemiología , Guerra de Irak 2003-2011 , Personal Militar/psicología , Trastornos por Estrés Postraumático/epidemiología , Adolescente , Adulto , Trastornos de Combate/epidemiología , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Prevalencia , Reino Unido/epidemiología , Estados Unidos/epidemiología , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
Research involving military service members has shown a strong relationship between combat experiences and increased risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health problems. Comparatively little research has examined the relationship between combat experiences, PTSD, aggression, and unethical conduct on the battlefield, although news stories sometimes suggest links between unethical conduct and disorders such as PTSD. This study systematically examined whether unethical conduct is a proxy for aggression and whether specific combat experiences and PTSD are independently associated with unethical behavior. The results of this study indicate that aggression (ß = 0.30) and specific combat experiences (particularly, witnessing war atrocities [ß = 0.14] and fighting [ß = 0.13]) are much more strongly associated with unethical conduct than is PTSD (ß = 0.04).
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Agresión/ética , Agresión/psicología , Códigos de Ética , Trastornos de Combate/psicología , Guerra de Irak 2003-2011 , Personal Militar/psicología , Personal Militar/estadística & datos numéricos , Trastornos por Estrés Postraumático/psicología , Violencia/ética , Violencia/psicología , Adolescente , Adulto , Campaña Afgana 2001- , Trastornos de Combate/diagnóstico , Trastornos de Combate/epidemiología , Estudios Transversales , Femenino , Encuestas Epidemiológicas , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Factores de Riesgo , Estadística como Asunto , Trastornos por Estrés Postraumático/diagnóstico , Trastornos por Estrés Postraumático/epidemiología , Estados Unidos , Violencia/estadística & datos numéricos , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: This study examined 2003-2009 trends in three marital functioning indicators: marital quality, infidelity, and separation/divorce intent, and in marital dissolution rates among U.S. soldiers. METHODS: Marital functioning trends were examined with cross-sectional postdeployment sample data collected under the Land Combat Study from married, male, enlisted soldiers who had deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan (n = 5,928). Marital dissolution rates were examined with population data (n = 1,895,571). The relationships between time (measured by year) and all study variables were analyzed with chi2 tests of association, analysis of variance, and logistic regression analyses adjusting for combat exposure, mental and physical health, and demographic variables. RESULTS: Marital quality has declined, and reports of past-year infidelity and separation/divorce intent have increased between 2003 and 2009. However, no increases were observed in marital dissolution rates. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that more proximal indicators of marital functioning such as decreased marital quality, infidelity, and separation/divorce intent may better illustrate the strain that increased deployment tempo exerts on marital relationships. The findings provide a better understanding of how Army marriages have been affected by the wars, and suggest that further inquiry is needed on military marriages.
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Campaña Afgana 2001- , Guerra de Irak 2003-2011 , Matrimonio , Personal Militar , Adolescente , Adulto , Estudios Transversales , Divorcio/estadística & datos numéricos , Humanos , Modelos Logísticos , Masculino , Salud Mental , Estados Unidos , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
Frequent deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan have placed a strain on military retention. There is a need to determine contributing factors predicting intent to leave the military. The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent soldiers' mental health symptoms and perceptions of organizational climate are associated with intent to leave the military. Participants (n = 892) were soldiers of one infantry brigade combat team stationed in the United States, anonymously surveyed approximately 6 months after returning from a combat deployment to Iraq. The survey assessed overall deployment experiences, mental health symptoms, and perceptions of organizational climate. Results showed that soldiers reporting higher perceived organizational support were significantly less likely to report intent to leave and those screening positive for anxiety were significantly more likely to report intent to leave than those not screening positive. Implications of these results for Army clinicians and career counselors are discussed.