The combined influence of hardiness and cohesion on mental health in a military peacekeeping mission: A prospective study.
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SUBMITTER: Thomassen AG
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4744678 | biostudies-other | 2015 Oct
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other
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Project description:BACKGROUND:Prior investigations have found negative associations between military unit cohesion and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); however, most relied on cross-sectional data and few examined relationships of unit cohesion to other mental disorders. This study evaluates prospective associations of perceived unit cohesion with a range of mental health outcomes following combat deployment. METHODS:U.S. Army soldiers were surveyed approximately 1-2 months before deployment to Afghanistan (T0); and 1 month (T1), 3 months (T2), and 9 months (T3) after return from deployment. Logistic regression was performed to estimate associations of perceived unit cohesion at T0 with risk of PTSD, major depressive episode (MDE), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), alcohol or substance use disorder (AUD/SUD), and suicidal ideation at T2 or T3 among soldiers who completed all study assessments (N = 4,645). Models were adjusted for sociodemographic and Army service characteristics, predeployment history of the index outcome, and deployment stress exposure. RESULTS:Higher perceived unit cohesion at T0 was associated with lower risk of PTSD, MDE, GAD, AUD/SUD, and suicidal ideation at T2 or T3 (AORs = 0.72 to 0.85 per standard score increase in unit cohesion; P-values < 0.05). Models of incidence of mental disorders and suicidal ideation among soldiers without these problems predeployment yielded similar results, except that perceived unit cohesion was not associated with incident AUD/SUD. CONCLUSIONS:Soldiers who reported strong unit cohesion before deployment had lower risk of postdeployment mental disorders and suicidal ideation. Awareness of associations of perceived unit cohesion with postdeployment mental health may facilitate targeting of prevention programs.
| S-EPMC7058190 | biostudies-literature
Project description:An Internet-based survey sought information about barriers to mental health services for military wives.On the basis of qualitative work, an Internet-based program was created to identify military wives who may have major depressive disorder.Women (N=569, ages 18 to 56) were recruited from 45 states and eight foreign countries. Most participants (78%) reported mild to severe depression. Many (44%) reported unaddressed mental health needs. Barriers included inability to attend daytime appointments (38%), inability to find a counselor who understands the needs of military spouses (35%), inability to find a counselor the participant could trust (29%), concerns about confidentiality (26%), and lack of knowledge about where to get services (25%). The barriers reported differed markedly from those described by distressed women in the general population.Military wives are an underserved population. Knowledge of military culture is essential for civilian mental health providers working with military wives.
| S-EPMC4152420 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Research on the behavioral health of military spouses/partners is essential, yet lacking. Data on 344 civilian spouses were drawn from a study of U.S. Army Reserve/National Guard soldier couples. This project characterizes civilian spouses' behavioral health symptoms. Regression analyses assessed the relationship between substance use and mental health symptoms. Overall, findings indicate civilian spouses had behavioral health impairments. Mental health, alcohol use, and tobacco use did not differ by soldiers' deployment history; illicit drug use and non-medical use of prescription drugs did at trend level. Support initiatives focusing on all military spouses, not just those of deployed soldiers, are needed.
| S-EPMC6914216 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThis study focuses on factors that may disproportionately affect female veterans' mental health, compared to men, and is part of a larger study assessing the prevalence of mental health disorders and treatment seeking among formerly deployed US military service members.MethodsWe surveyed a random sample of 1,730 veterans who were patients in a large non-VA hospital system in the US. Based on previous research, women were hypothesized to be at higher risk for psychological problems. We adjusted our results for confounding factors, including history of trauma, childhood abuse, combat exposure, deployments, stressful life events, alcohol misuse, psychological resources, and social support.ResultsAmong the veterans studied, 5% were female (n = 85), 96% were White (n = 1,161), 22.9% were Iraq/Afghanistan veterans (n = 398), and the mean age was 59 years old (SD = 12). Compared to males, female veterans were younger, unmarried, college graduates, had less combat exposure, but were more likely to have lifetime PTSD (29% vs. 12%.), depression (46% vs. 21%), suicidal ideation (27% vs. 11%), and lifetime mental health service use (67% vs. 47%). Females were also more likely to have low psychological resilience and to have used psychotropic medications in the past year. Using multivariate logistic regression analyses that controlled for risk and protective factors, female veterans had greater risk for lifetime PTSD, depression, suicidal thoughts, and for lifetime use of psychological services, compared to males. Since 95% of the population in this study were male and these results may have been statistically biased, we reran our analyses using propensity score matching. Results were consistent across these analyses.ConclusionUsing a sample of post-deployment veterans receiving healthcare services from a large non-VA health system, we find that female veterans are at greater risk for lifetime psychological problems, compared to male veterans. We discuss these findings and their implications for service providers.
| S-EPMC7869200 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundMilitary sexual trauma (MST) is a major public health concern, given its prevalence and mental health sequelae. This phenomenon is particularly prevalent among women in the US military, although more cases involve men given their overrepresentation. Little is known about MST and its consequences in other military settings, including in Europe.MethodsThis study draws from a national survey in the French military, including 1268 servicemen and 232 servicewomen. We conducted bivariate and multivariate analysis, using simple and multinomial logistic regressions to evaluate the associations between different forms of MST (repeated sexual comments alone/one form of sexual oppression (coercion, repeated verbal unwanted attention or assault)/ several sexual stressors) and symptoms of depression and of positive post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) screening scores.ResultsWomen were both more likely to experience MST and to experience more severe forms of MST than men. Women were also more likely than men to report mental health symptoms (31% versus 18% for symptoms of depression and 4.0% versus 1.8% for positive PTSD screening scores). Different forms of MST were associated with different levels of psychological distress. Women reporting repeated sexual comments alone had higher odds of depressive symptoms (OR=3.1 [1.7, 5.5]) relative to women with no MST. Likewise, the odds of depressive symptoms were 6.5 times higher among women and 8.0 times higher among men who experienced several sexual stressors relative to those who reported no MST. We also found higher relative risk of subthreshold PTSD screening scores among women reporting any form of sexual stressor, including sexual comments alone (RRR = 4.5 [2.8, 7.4]) and an elevenfold increase in the relative risk of positive PTSD screen scores (RRR = 11.3 [2.3, 55.6]) among women who experienced several sexual stressors relative to women with no MST.ConclusionMST is associated with mental health distress among service members in the French military, especially for women. The heightened risk of MST coupled with psychological sequelae call for preventive programs to reduce MST and for screening programs to provide adequate psychological support.
| S-EPMC8812201 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionMental health conditions (i.e. depression or anxiety) are the most common complication of pregnancy and childbirth in the United States (U.S.) and are associated with increased maternal and infant morbidity and mortality. Research has demonstrated a relationship between stress and mental health diagnoses in pregnancy; therefore, it is concerning that military families face unique challenges which contribute to additional stressors among spouses of active-duty (AD) military personnel during the perinatal period. The objective of this scoping review was to understand the current state of research on perinatal stress or perinatal mental health among American spouses of AD military personnel.MethodsThe Boolean phrase was created in consultation with 2 health science librarians and the following databases searched in October 2023: PubMed, Embase, Military and Government Collection, CINAHL, and PsychINFO. 2 reviewers identified 481 studies for screening once duplicates were removed. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 21 studies remained for data extraction and analysis.ResultsMost of the studies were quantitative, took place in the southern U.S., and the most represented military branch was Air Force. Most of the studies included both AD military members and AD spouses; 28% focused solely on AD spouses. Samples were not racially diverse, and findings identified racial disparities in perinatal mental health conditions. There was a wide variety in outcome measures, including the following general categories: (1) stress, anxiety, and/or depression, (2) maternal-infant attachment, (3) group prenatal care, and (4) deployment focus. Our review identified the following concepts: spouses most at risk for perinatal mental health conditions, the need for perinatal mental health screening, and the need for social support.ConclusionsFindings from the identified studies indicate a need for additional research in this area. Additionally, findings highlight circumstances unique to this population that result in an increased risk of stress and/or mental health conditions during the perinatal period. Such challenges demand improved mental health screening and additional resources for this population. Meeting the needs of this unique population also requires significant funding and policy change to allow for increased access to mental health resources and to ensure the health of the birthing person and infant.
| S-EPMC11348676 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Objectives This study aimed to elucidate the potential moderating effect of fair-, empowering-, and supportive-leadership behaviors on the relationship between job predictability, future employability, and subsequent clinically relevant mental distress. Method The study had a full panel, prospective design, utilizing online, self-administered questionnaire data collected at two time points, two years apart. Fair-, empowering-, and supportive-leadership behaviors, job predictability and future employability were measured by the General Nordic Questionnaire for Psychological and Social Factors at Work (QPSNordic). Mental health was measured using the 10-item Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL-10), with cut-off set to >1.85 to identify clinically relevant cases. As data were nested within work units, a multilevel analytic approach was chosen. Results Individual-level direct effects: (i) higher levels of job predictability [odds ratio (OR) 0.83, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.70-0.98], (ii) future employability (OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.74-0.93), (iii) fair- (OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.68-0.91), empowering- (OR 0.77, 95% CI 0.67-0.87), and supportive- (OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.61-0.81) leadership behavior, and (iv) the combination "quality of leadership" (OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.59-0.81) were significantly associated with a lower risk of reporting subsequent mental distress. Work-unit level direct effects: higher work-unit levels of fair- (OR 0.52, 95% CI 0.34-0.80) and empowering- (OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.40-0.94) leadership behaviors and quality of leadership (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.34-0.87) were significantly associated with a lowered risk of subsequent mental distress. Cross-level interactions: No cross-level interaction effects were shown. Conclusions Leadership behaviors did not moderate the effects of job predictability and future employability on mental health. However, employees embedded within work-units characterized by fair, empowering and supportive leadership behaviors had a lower risk of subsequent mental distress.
| S-EPMC8506305 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Soldiers regularly participate in missions abroad and subjectively adapt to this situation. However, they have an increased lifetime cardiovascular risk compared to other occupational groups. To test the hypothesis that foreign deployment results in different stress habituation patterns, we investigated long-term psychological and bio-physiological stress responses to a repeated social stress task in healthy soldiers with and without foreign deployment. Ninety-one female and male soldiers from the BEST study (German armed forces deployment and stress) participated three times in the Trier Social Stress Test for groups (TSST-G) prior to, 6-8 weeks after and 1 year after the mission abroad and were compared to a control group without foreign deployment during the study period. They completed the State-Trait-Anxiety Inventory scale (STAI), the Primary Appraisal Secondary Appraisal questionnaire (PASA) and the Multidimensional Mood State Questionnaire (MDBF). Salivary cortisol and α-amylase, blood pressure, heart rate and heart rate variability were determined. Soldiers showed mental habituation over the three times with a significant decrease after the TSST-G in anxiousness (STAI) and cognitive stress appraisal (PASA), they were calmer and reported better mood (MDBF). Prior to the social stress part, the mood (MDBF) declined significantly. None of the biological and physiological markers showed any adaptation to the TSST-G. Mission abroad did not significantly influence any measured psychobiological marker when compared to soldiers without foreign deployment. Foreign deployment does not result in alterations in psychobiological social stress response patterns over 1 year after mission abroad which indicates that adaptation to acute social stress is highly maintained in healthy soldiers. The discrepancy between subjective perception and objective stress response has numerous clinical implications and should receive more attention.
| S-EPMC9797525 | biostudies-literature
Project description:INTRODUCTION:Recent systematic reviews have highlighted the dearth of evidence on the effectiveness of regeneration on health and health inequalities. 'Communities First' is an area-wide regeneration scheme to improve the lives of people living in the most deprived areas in Wales (UK). This study will evaluate the impact of Communities First on residents' mental health and social cohesion. METHODS AND ANALYSIS:A prospective controlled quasi-experimental study of the association between residence in Communities First regeneration areas in Caerphilly county borough and change in mental health and social cohesion. The study population is the 4226 residents aged 18-74?years who responded to the Caerphilly Health and Social Needs Study in 2001 (before delivery) and 2008 (after delivery of Communities First). Data on the location, type and cost of Communities First interventions will be extracted from records collected by Caerphilly county borough council. The primary outcome is the change in mental health between 2001 and 2008. Secondary outcomes are changes: in common mental disorder case status (using survey and general practice data), social cohesion and mental health inequalities. Multilevel models will examine change in mental health and social cohesion between Communities First and control areas, adjusting for individual and household level confounding factors. Further models will examine the effects of (1) different types of intervention, (2) contamination across areas, (3) length of residence in a Communities First area, and (4) population migration. We will carry out a cost-consequences analysis to summarise the outcomes generated for participants, as well as service utilisation and utility gains. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION:This study has had approval from the Information Governance Review Panel at Swansea University (Ref: 0266 CF). Findings will be disseminated through peer-review publications, international conferences, policy and practice partners in local and national government, and updates on our study website (http://medicine.cardiff.ac.uk/clinical-study/communities-first-regeneration-programme/).
| S-EPMC4202000 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Although military service, and particularly absence due to deployment, has been linked to risk for depression and anxiety among some spouses and children of active duty service members, there is limited research to explain the heterogeneity in family members' reactions to military service stressors. The current investigation introduces the Timeline Followback Military Family Interview (TFMFI) as a clinically useful strategy to collect detailed time-linked information about the service member's absences. Two dimensions of parent absence--the extent to which absences coincide with important family events and cumulative time absent--were tested as potential risks to family members' mental health. Data from 70 mother-adolescent pairs revealed that the number of important family events missed by the service member was linked to elevated youth symptoms of depression, even when accounting for the number of deployments and cumulative duration of the service member's absence. However, youth who reported more frequent contact with the service member during absences were buffered from the effects of extensive absence. Mothers' symptoms were associated with the cumulative duration of the service members' time away, but not with family events missed by the service member. These results identify circumstances that increase the risk for mental health symptoms associated with military family life. The TFMFI provides an interview-based strategy for clinicians wishing to understand military family members' lived experience during periods of service-member absence.
| S-EPMC4573828 | biostudies-literature