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

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.