Prospective Risk Factors for New-Onset Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in National Guard Soldiers Deployed to Iraq

Abstract

National Guard troops are at increased risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); however, little is known about risk and resilience in this population. The Readiness and Resilience in National Guard Soldiers Study is a prospective, longitudinal investigation of 522 Army National Guard troops deployed to Iraq from March 2006 to July 2007. Participants completed measures of PTSD symptoms and potential risk/protective factors 1 month before deployment. Of these, 81% (n=424) completed measures of PTSD, deployment stressor exposure and post-deployment outcomes 2-3 months after returning from Iraq. New onset of probable PTSD "diagnosis" was measured by the PTSD Checklist-Military (PCL-M). Independent predictors of new-onset probable PTSD were identified using hierarchical logistic regression analyses. At baseline prior to deployment, 3.7% had probable PTSD. Among soldiers without PTSD symptoms at baseline, 13.8% reported post-deployment new-onset probable PTSD. Hierarchical logistic regression adjusted for gender, age, race/ethnicity and military rank showed that reporting more stressors prior to deployment predicted new-onset probable PTSD [odds ratio (OR) 2.20] as did feeling less prepared for deployment (OR 0.58). After accounting for pre-deployment factors, new-onset probable PTSD was predicted by exposure to combat (OR 2.19) and to combat's aftermath (OR 1.62). Reporting more stressful life events after deployment (OR 1.96) was associated with increased odds of new-onset probable PTSD, while post-deployment social support (OR 0.31) was a significant protective factor in the etiology of PTSD. Combat exposure may be unavoidable in military service members, but other vulnerability and protective factors also predict PTSD and could be targets for prevention strategies.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2011
Accession Number
ADA538359

Entities

People

  • C. R. Erbes
  • M. A. Polusny
  • M. B. Rath
  • M. Murdoch
  • P. A. Arbisi
  • P. Thuras

Organizations

  • University of Minnesota

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Afghanistan Conflict
  • Anxiety Disorders
  • Department Of Veterans Affairs
  • Diseases And Disorders
  • Families (Human)
  • Health Care
  • Health Services
  • Iraqi-War
  • Medical Personnel
  • Mental Disorders
  • Military Personnel
  • National Guard
  • Psychology
  • Risk Factors
  • Social Psychology
  • Traumatic Stress Disorder
  • Warfare

Fields of Study

  • Psychology

Readers

  • Mental Health of Military Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Risk Factors, Prevalence, Symptoms, and Treatment.