Publication year
2015
Citation Title
Factors associated with civilian employment, work satisfaction, and performance among National Guard members.
Journal Name
Psychiatric Services
Journal Volume
66
Issue Number
12
Page Numbers
1318-1325
DOI
10.1176/appi.ps.20140034
Summary
Understanding risk factors related to Service members' employment-related outcomes is an important area of research, especially following the return of a deployment back into civilian life. Examination of alcohol use, psychiatric symptoms, and physical functioning suggested some negative links to National Guard employment status, work performance, and work satisfaction.
Key Findings
Guard Soldiers who had increased alcohol consumption were more likely to be unemployed at return of deployment with less satisfaction with civilian employment.
Greater work performance and work satisfaction in Guard Soldiers were related to the availability of social resources (e.g., material aid, emotional support, and socially shared activities).
Guard Soldiers with positive psychiatric symptoms (e.g., depression, anxiety, PTSD) reported lower work performance and work satisfaction ratings.
Implications for Program Leaders
Develop classes for Service members to help them overcome the barriers to locating employment options following the return of a deployment
Provide information regarding resources, such as mental health care, for Service members who are having a difficult time adjusting to civilian life and have experienced traumatic combat exposure
Create workshops that allow Service members to engage with each other and build a sense of camaraderie in effort to reduce alcohol consumption and create a network of social support
Implications for Policy Makers
Recommend professionals who work with military families to participate in trainings on improving long-term employment options
Support programs for Service members and their families on healthy relationships and positive coping strategies to manage stress and challenges related to military deployment
Encourage collaboration with the Veteran Affairs (VA) to ensure Service members are screened for psychiatric symptoms following the return of a combat-related deployment
Methods
National Guard Soldiers who recently returned (within six months) from an OEF, OIF, or OND deployment were recruited during monthly drill and by mail.
Participants completed measures of employment as well as health-related measures, including combat exposure, symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, and depression, physical functioning, and alcohol consumption.
Statistical analyses were conducted to examine the relationships between health-related measures and employment-related outcome variables.
Participants
Participants were 1,151 National Guard members; 73% were employed, while 27% were unemployed.
Among the sample, 84% were White followed by 6% Black, 4% Latino, 3% multiracial, and 3% other.
Of those that were employed, 94% were male, 6% female with 42% between 18-30 years, 28% between 31- 40 years, and 30% older than 41 years.
For those that were unemployed 90% were male, 10% were female with 63% between 18-30 years, 22% between 31-40 years, and 15% older than 41 years.
Limitations
The sample was all National Guard Soldiers, thus findings may not generalize to other branches.
The study did not assess for exposure to different kinds of combat; these exposures could be differentially related to psychiatric symptoms, thus impacting employment and alcohol consumption.
Data were cross-sectional, limiting the ability to differentiate casual effects of alcohol use and psychiatric symptoms in relation to combat exposure, deployment, or employment-related outcomes.
Avenues for Future Research
Collect interview data from Guard Soldiers on their lived experiences in returning from a deployment
Investigate alcohol use, psychiatric symptoms, and employment before, during, and after a deployment to better assess relationships among these outcomes
Examine the effects of alcohol use and psychiatric symptoms specifically among low-ranking Service members as it pertains to unemployment following the return from a deployment to civilian life
Focus
Multiple Branches
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
Objective: Employment is a vital part of the post-deployment return to civilian life. This study investigated factors associated with employment-related outcomes (employment status, self-reported work performance, and self-reported work satisfaction) among National Guard members returning from Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, or Operation New Dawn deployments. Methods: The sample consisted of 1,151 National Guard service members who had returned from overseas deployments approximately six months earlier. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were performed to examine associations between predictors and employment-related outcome variables. Results: Higher-risk alcohol use was associated with reduced odds of being employed as well as with lower ratings of work satisfaction, whereas psychiatric symptom load was associated with lower self-reported work performance and work satisfaction ratings. Perceived social resources were associated with higher self-reported work performance and work satisfaction, whereas better physical functioning was associated with better self-reported work performance. Conclusions: Policy makers and clinicians may need to consider and assess alcohol use among unemployed National Guard members. They may also need to consider psychiatric symptom load and physical functioning among employed service members who perceive poor work performance and have low work satisfaction. Further research is needed on causal links between these predictors and employment outcomes.
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