Publication year
2016
Citation Title
The impact of the Unites States Air Force deployment transition center on postdeployment health outcomes
Journal Name
Military Psychology
Journal Volume
28
Issue Number
2
Page Numbers
89-103
DOI
10.1037/mil0000105
Summary
An evaluation comparing the mental health and well-being of a sample of United States Air Force participants who were required to attend the deployment transition center (DTC) program to a weighted control group who did not attend the DTC program was conducted. The DTC program consists of two travel days and a 2-day decompression program prior to reintegration back into their home lives and work stations. The evaluation investigated whether DTC program participation had an impact during the six months following reintegration on participants' self-reported mental health problems or mental health disorder diagnosis.
Key Findings
Program participants reported lower levels of depressive and posttraumatic stress symptoms as compared to the control group upon completion of the program.
Program participants experienced lower levels of relationship conflict following return from deployment, as compared to the control group.
Mental health diagnostic rates were comparable for the two groups.
Implications for Program Leaders
Develop online modules around reintegration and reflective practice for Service members and their families
Create support groups for Service members upon their return from being deployed to address issues of mental and physical health
Educate Service members who have a history of depression or other mental health issues before deployment on positive coping skills
Implications for Policy Makers
Recommend that training or workshops be provided for Service members and their families on the warning signs of post-deployment mental health problems
Continue efforts to support programs that focus on the post-deployment transition process for Service members through reintegration focused programming
Recommend professional development for professionals who work with Service members and their families around post-deployment reintegration and debriefing
Methods
Records used were retrieved from two sources: the Defense Manpower Data Center Contingency Tracking System and the DTC Participant List.
The study used completed health assessments participants had filled out before deployment, within 30 days following return from deployment, and within 3 to 6 months post-deployment.
Analysis of data determined to what extent the DTC program was effective for a unique subsample of deployed AFSMs who were required to attend.
Participants
The initial sample included the entire population of Active Duty enlisted Air Force Service members who redeployed between July 1, 2010 and December 31, 2011.
Participants included those in four “high exposure” career fields, which included vehicle operations, vehicle maintenance, explosive ordnance disposal, and security forces.
Most DTC program participants were male (92%), White (77%), and married (54%).
Limitations
Most participants were sent to the program as members of their deployed team; therefore, it is difficult to determine whether the beneficial impact of the program was due to the content of the program itself or the opportunity to process deployment experiences with team members.
Participants in the program were required to attend; therefore, in order to have a somewhat comparable control group complex modeling techniques were used in order to try to balance the groups; as such, results should be interpreted with caution.
Data were gathered from a group of participants who attended the program in 2010 and 2011; thus, results from the present study may not generalize to future participant groups.
Avenues for Future Research
Examine the effects of the DTC program for Service members with lower levels of trauma exposure
Investigate the impact of the program content as well as the opportunity to process experiences with their deployed team on participants
Evaluate the effectiveness of reintegration program models for both Service members and their families in terms of developing protective factors and supporting strong families
Focus
Air Force
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
The United States Air Force Deployment Transition Center (DTC) operates a 2-day third-location decompression program that commenced operations during the summer of 2010 in Ramstein, Germany, with the aim to assist Air Force service members (AFSMs) who are returning from deployment as they prepare to reintegrate back into their home lives and work stations. The present study evaluated the impact of DTC attendance on later mental health outcomes. Because participants are not randomly assigned to attend the DTC, propensity score weighting was used to compare DTC participants (N = 1,573) to a weighted control group of AFSMs (N = 1,570) in the same job specialties who returned from deployment during the same time period. Rates of endorsement to items on the Postdeployment Health Reassessment were examined and compared, as were rates of mental health diagnoses from AFSMs’ official medical records. Key findings indicate that DTC participants reported lower levels of depressive and posttraumatic stress symptoms and lower levels of relationship conflict following return from deployment, as compared to weighted control participants. Mental health diagnostic rates were comparable for the 2 groups during the first 6 months following return from deployment. These findings suggest that participation in the DTC program had notable benefits for redeploying AFSMs and support the continued use of the program.
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