Coming home may hurt: Risk factors for mental ill health in US reservists after deployment in Iraq

Type
Summary

National Guard Soldiers may face post-deployment stressors affecting mental health that Active Duty Service members do not (e.g., job loss, lack of employer support, financial hardship, negative effects on co-workers). The effects of combat exposure and military and demographic characteristics on PTSD and depression were examined among National Guard Soldiers at 3 and 12 months post-deployment. Few Soldiers experienced stressors specific to the National Guard, but those that did were at greater risk for PTSD and depression at 3 and 12 months post-deployment.

Citation
Riviere, L. A., Kendall-Robbins, A., McGurk, D., Castro, C. A., Hoge, C. W. (2011). Coming home may hurt: Risk factors for mental ill health in US reservists after deployment in Iraq. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 198, 136-142. doi:10.1192/bjp.bp.110.084863