Publication year
2010
Citation Title
Predictors of emotional distress reported by soldiers in the combat zone.
Journal Name
Journal of Psychiatric Research
Journal Volume
44
Issue Number
7
Page Numbers
470-476
DOI
10.1016/j.jpsychires.2009.10.010
Summary
National Guard Soldiers were given self-report questionnaires while deployed in a war-zone to determine their levels of PTSD and depressive symptoms, and to identify behaviors associated with emotional distress. The findings indicate that female gender and prior deployment influence more aspects of emotional distress than do blast exposure or combat injury. Not feeling supported by the unit and ones family was associated with many different aspects of emotional distress.
Key Findings
Five factors contributed to Service members emotional distress: negative affect/cognitions, trauma-specific experiences, vegetative symptoms (e.g.,energy level, fatigue, and appetite), loss of interest/numbing, and hyper-arousal.
Negative affect/cognitions was predicted by previous deployment, direct combat experience, and low support from unit and family members.
Seven percent of participants reported PTSD symptoms and 9% of the sample reported symptoms of depression.
Implications for Program Leaders
Offer workshops which emphasize the importance of unit support prior to deployment
Continue to offer reintegration programs that include specific components that address the emotional distress experienced by female Service members
Educate Soldiers and family members about the importance of consistent communication during deployment for optimal mental health
Implications for Policy Makers
Recommend policies that consider prior deployment, combat experience, and the gender when determining deployment schedules
Support programs that allow for increased contact with family members at home while deployed
Continue to support post-deployment reintegration workshops for Service members and their families
Methods
Two thousand six hundred seventy-seven National Guard Soldiers were given surveys in-person at a redeployment transition briefing that was scheduled one month before being redeployed home.
Survey questionnaires focused on PTSD symptomology, depressive symptomology, injury and traumatic brain injury screening , attitudes and experiences during deployment, combat exposure, and demographics.
Participants were invited to participate in the current study during a redeployment transition briefing.
Participants
Participants included 2,677 Minnesota Army National Guard Soliders.
Most participants were male (92%) and White (83%). Age of participants was not reported.
The majority of participants were enlisted (89%), with just over half serving as Combat Arms (51%), followed by Combat Service Support (35%), and Combat Support (15%).
Limitations
Surveys were distributed one month prior to returning home, potentially skewing results.
Data were only collected at one site, which may limit generalizability.
Self-report measures may be vulnerable to bias.
Avenues for Future Research
Conduct a similar study in the early and middle period of deployment to compare mental health at different phases of deployment
Explore rates of deployment distress with other branches of the Military to determine whether results generalize to different branches
Examine ways to reduce emotional distress among Service members during deployment
Focus
Multiple Branches
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Component
Abstract
Objective: Few studies have examined rates of distress of military personnel during deployment to a war zone. Our study sought to (a) identify rates of self-reported posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression symptoms during combat deployment, (b) characterize higher order dimensions of emotional distress experienced by soldiers during deployment, and (c) identify predictors of these dimensions of emotional distress. Method: Participants were 2677 National Guard soldiers deployed as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2006-07. We performed a principal components factor analysis on items of the PTSD Checklist - Military Version and the Beck Depression Inventory to identify dimensions of emotional distress, followed by multiple regression analyses to identify factors that predicted these dimensions of distress. Results: Rates of PTSD and depression in our sample were 7% and 9%, respectively. Five dimensions of emotional distress emerged: negative affect/cognitions, trauma-specific re-experiencing and avoidance, vegetative symptoms, loss of interest/numbing symptoms, and arousal/irritability. Two dimensions, trauma-specific symptoms and arousal/irritability, appeared to be more indicative of trauma sequelae, while the other three dimensions were more indicative of depressive symptoms. Demographic factors, combat exposure (including injury and exposure to explosive blast), and attitudinal variables predicted trauma-specific aspects of distress. Symptoms characteristic of depression or generalized distress were predicted by female gender, recent prior deployment, and attitudinal factors but were not predicted by blast exposure or injury. Conclusions: These findings suggest specific targets for contextual and individual interventions to reduce deployment-related distress and point out the need for longitudinal follow-up to determine long-term implications for post-deployment functioning.
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