Longitudinal Study of Resilience and Mental Health in Marines Leaving Military Service

Marines with combat exposure who took part in mandatory, pre-separation Transition Assistance Programs (TAP) participated in a longitudinal study of the impacts of risk and protective factors on their mental health following separation from the military. Risk factors for increased mental health problems and functional impairment include higher levels of combat exposure, post-separation civilian life stress, and experiencing multiple areas of physical pain post-separation. Protective factors include higher scores on pre-separation resilience measures and perceived social support.