Publication year
2012
Citation Title
The impact of work-related factors on soldiers' treatment: Providers' perspectives.
Journal Name
Journal of Social Work Practice in the Addictions
Journal Volume
12
Issue Number
1
Page Numbers
69-88
DOI
10.1080/1533256X.2012.646588
Summary
Situations unique to military settings may impact the continuity of care for Service members and their families seeking treatment for substance abuse and family violence-related issues. This study examined the relationship between military work-related factors (e.g., deployment or permanent change of station) and treatment disruption from the perspective of practitioners. Almost 90% of respondents reported that military work-related factors resulted in treatment disruption or early termination of treatment.
Key Findings
Deployment was the most likely work-related factor to result in early termination of treatment or treatment disruption.
Using deferments that allow for the completion of substance abuse and family violence treatment may not be widely practiced among Service members and their families.
Treatment disruption could result in exacerbation of preexisting substance abuse and family violence.
No significant patterns of individual characteristics among practitioners that may result in treatment disruption were found.
Implications for Program Leaders
Develop training modules for practitioners and chain of command that focus on demonstrating how military work-related factors impact treatment continuity
Conduct educational workshops and seminars for Service members and their families aiming to mitigate possible stigmas surrounding deferring deployment to complete treatment
Encourage collaboration throughout deployment between chaplains, treatment practitioners, and Service members to facilitate discussions regarding treatment plans and progress
Implications for Policy Makers
Promote proactive communication between Service members and their chain of command regarding their treatment progress
Support flexible treatment delivery options that provide more options for Service members and their families during work-related transitions
Promote support groups for family members throughout deployment that promote the continuation of treatment and stress the importance of the Service member resuming treatment post-deployment
Methods
Data were gathered from a survey completed by practitioners offering treatment for substance abuse and family violence to active duty Army Service members and their families worldwide.
Self-administered web-based surveys were used for gathering information.
Practitioner responses included their ratings regarding whether military work-related factors disrupted treatment for Service members and their families.
Data analyses assessed the relationship between work-related factors and levels of treatment disruption.
Participants
Participants were treatment practitioners drawn from the Family Advocacy Plan (FAP) and the Army Substance Abuse Program (ASAP).
Two hundred and sixty-four treatment practitioners successfully completed the survey, with most being female (FAP 73% female; ASAP 54% female) representing 55 different Army installations worldwide.
All respondents were 25 years of age or older with most respondents being between the ages of 45 and 64.
Limitations
Information was only gathered from Army treatment practitioners; therefore, findings cannot be generalized to other branches of the military.
The data do not include self-reporting by Service members or their families, thereby limiting the strength of external validity for these findings.
This study focused on three specific military work-related factors that may have disrupted treatment but did not examine other work-related factors that may affect treatment.
Avenues for Future Research
Gain the perspectives of Service members and their families to further investigate how military work-related factors affect the continuity of treatment for substance abuse and family violence
Expand generalizability by examining the perspectives of Service members and treatment practitioners from other branches of the military
Work to discover other potential military work-related factors that may result in treatment disruption or early termination
Focus
Army
Target Population
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
Military settings present a unique context that can affect the continuity of care for substance abuse and other issues. We examined the impact of military work-related factors (increased work tempo, deployment, and permanent change of station) on treatment disruption for substance abuse and family violence among Army soldiers from the perspective of substance abuse treatment providers and clinical social workers. Among the 264 respondents, nearly 90% of providers reported that work-related factors resulted in disruption or termination of soldiers' treatment. Given the potential implications of treatment disruption on treatment effectiveness, steps for ensuring treatment continuity for soldiers should be considered.
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