Psychosocial Predictors of Military Misconduct

Abstract

The objective of this longitudinal study was to determine psychosocial predictors of military misconduct in a cohort of Marine Corps war veterans. The study included data from 20,746 male Marines who completed a life history questionnaire during initial basic training and were subsequently deployed to a combat zone. Associations between psychosocial variables, psychiatric diagnoses, and subsequent misconduct outcomes were analyzed using Cox proportional hazards regression. The strongest predictors of misconduct outcomes (bad conduct discharges and military demotions) were psychiatric diagnoses and young age at first combat deployment. The results indicate that combat-related psychological disorders may manifest in numerous harmful ways, including impulsive, disruptive, and antisocial behavior. We recommend that the association between misconduct and psychiatric disorders be more explicitly acknowledged in research and treatment efforts involving military war veterans and other trauma victims.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 01, 2010
Accession Number
ADA515104

Entities

People

  • Cedric F. Garland
  • Gerald E. Larson
  • Robyn M. Highfill-McRoy
  • Stephanie Booth-Kewley

Organizations

  • Naval Health Research Center

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Afghanistan Conflict
  • Anxiety Disorders
  • Army Personnel
  • Basic Training
  • Behavioral Sciences
  • Depression
  • Diseases And Disorders
  • Education
  • Health Services
  • Iraqi-War
  • Marine Corps
  • Medical Personnel
  • Mental Disorders
  • Psychiatry
  • Surveys
  • Training
  • Traumatic Stress Disorder

Fields of Study

  • Psychology

Readers

  • Criminal Law
  • Naval Personnel Management
  • Psychological Intervention/Treatment for Stress, Anxiety, PTSD, and Related Emotional and Cognitive Health Symptoms.