Coming Home May Hurt: Risk Factors for Mental Ill Health in US Reservists after Deployment in Iraq

Type
Summary

Background

Little research has been conducted on the factors that may explain the higher rates of mental health problems in United States National Guard soldiers who have deployed to the Iraq War.

Aims

To examine whether financial hardship, job loss, employer support and the effect of deployment absence on co-workers were associated with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Method

Cross-sectional data were obtained from 4,034 National Guard soldiers at two time points. All measures were assessed by self-report.

Results

The four factors were associated with depression and PTSD, with variability based on outcome and time point. For example, job loss increased the odds of meeting criteria for depression at 3 and 12 months and for PTSD at 12 months; the negative effect of deployment absence on co-workers increased the likelihood of meeting criteria for PTSD, but not depression, at both time points.

Conclusions

The findings demonstrate that National Guard soldiers have unique post-deployment social and material concerns that impair their mental health.

U02/2016

Citation
Riviere, L. A., Kendall-Robbins, A., McGurk, D., Castro, C. A., & Hoge, C. W. (2011). Coming home may hurt: Risk factors for mental ill health in US Reservists after deployment in Iraq. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 198(2), 136-142. doi:10.1192/bjp.bp.110.084863