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Treatment of Mental or Physical Health Problems in a Combat Zone: Comparisons of Postdeployment Mental Health and Early Separation From Service
Author(s) -
Conway Terry L.,
Schmied Emily A.,
Larson Gerald E.,
Galarneau Michael R.,
Hammer Paul S.,
Quinn Kimberly H.,
Schmitz Kimberly J.,
WebbMurphy Jennifer A.,
Boucher Wayne C.,
Edwards Nathan K.,
Ly Hoa L.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of traumatic stress
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.259
H-Index - 134
eISSN - 1573-6598
pISSN - 0894-9867
DOI - 10.1002/jts.22091
Subject(s) - mental health , population , psychiatry , odds ratio , military personnel , medicine , military service , occupational safety and health , military deployment , suicide prevention , poison control , psychology , environmental health , archaeology , pathology , political science , law , history
Abstract The primary aim of this study was to evaluate whether being treated for mental health or nonbattle physical injury during military combat deployment was associated with higher risk for postdeployment mental disorders and poorer career outcomes than seen in the general combat‐deployed population. Service members treated in theater for mental health ( n = 964) or noncombat injury ( n = 853) were compared with randomly sampled personnel ( n = 7,220) from the general deployed population on diagnosed mental disorders and early separation from service. Deployment, medical, and career information were obtained from Department of Defense archival databases. Over half of the personnel who received mental health treatment while deployed were diagnosed with 1 or more mental disorders postdeployment and/or were separated from service before completing their full‐term enlistment. This was significantly higher than expected compared to the general deployed group, adjusting for demographic/military characteristics and mental health history (adjusted odds ratios [ OR s] ranging 1.62 to 2.96). Frequencies of problems also were higher in the mental health‐treated group than in the group treated for nonbattle physical injuries (significant adjusted OR s ranging 1.65 to 2.58). The documented higher risks for postdeployment adjustment problems suggested that especially those treated in theater by mental health providers might benefit from postdeployment risk‐reduction programs.