The Impact of Deployment History on the Wellbeing of Military Personnel: The Gender Effect
Abstract
The present study examines the effects of deployment history on the psychological health of male and female military personnel. Previous research (Huffman, Adler & Castro, 1999) has shown that deployment history is a significant factor in understanding soldiers' psychological well being. This study investigates the effect of gender on the relationship between deployment history and psychological well being. Male and female personnel (N=12,336) re-deploying from the NATO mission in the former Yugoslavia (e.g. Hungary and Bosnia-Herzegovina) were assessed for symptoms of posttraumatic stress, depression, and alcohol problems. Personnel scoring above criteria on the primary clinical screen scales received an interview to determine referral need. There were no gender differences in exceeding criteria on the overall primary screen. However, gender differences were evident in the nature of the relationship between deployment history and psychological well being. For men, first time deployments and longer deployments were associated with an increase in meeting criteria on one of the clinical scales. In contrast, women's overall primary screen rates remained relatively stable throughout the deployment regardless of how long they were deployed or whether they had been previously deployed. The finding suggest distinct gender differences in the impact of deployment history on soldier health and in understanding the resilience of soldiers under chronic moderate stress conditions.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 2000
- Accession Number
- ADA386536
Entities
People
- Amy B Adler
- Ann H. Huffman
- Carl A. Castro