Abstract
Background
Being deployed without one's home unit (individual-augmentee) and low perceived deployment
preparedness are risk factors for mental health symptoms and substance use in male
service members. However, these relationships have not been examined specifically
in U.S. servicewomen. This study sought to fill this gap by examining associations
between augmentee status and deployment stress preparedness (independent variables)
and depression, probable post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and binge drinking
(dependent variables) in a sample of U.S. servicewomen.
Methods
A community sample of service women from the Midwest, including both veterans and
those serving at the time of data collection (N = 991), completed structured telephone interviews. Logistic regression was used to
examine associations between augmentee status, deployment stress preparedness, and
the likelihood of reporting depression, probable PTSD, and binge drinking after controlling
for covariates.
Results
Findings showed that U.S. servicewomen in the Reserve/Guard who deployed as individual-augmentees
were more likely to screen positive for depression, report probable PTSD, and disclose
recent binge drinking than servicewomen in the Reserve/Guard deployed with their home
unit. Also, among servicewomen deployed as individual-augmentees, those in the Reserve/Guard
were more likely to report binge drinking than servicewomen in the active component.
No statistically significant associations between deployment stress preparedness and
mental health symptoms or binge drinking were observed.
Conclusions
Servicewomen in the Reserve/Guard who deployed as individual-augmentees may be at
increased risk for depression, probable PTSD, and hazardous drinking when compared
with their active component and Reserve/Guard peers deployed with their home units.
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Further Reading
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Biography
Michael A. Cucciare, PhD, is Associate Professor, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Associate Director for Research Training at the VA SC MIRECC. His research interests are addiction health services research and improving access to care for underserved populations.
Biography
Michelle A. Mengeling, PhD, is Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine and Core Investigator, CADRE, Iowa City VA. Her interests are women's health, rural health, and access to care.
Biography
Xiaotong Han, MS, is senior biostatistician at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and at the SC MIRECC. Her expertise is in statistical analyses, particularly in longitudinal data analysis using generalized estimating equations and generalized linear mixed models.
Biography
James Torner, PhD, is Professor, Department of Epidemiology at the University of Iowa. His research interests are stroke and cerebrovascular disorders, traumatic brain injury, and clinical trials design and methods.
Biography
Anne G. Sadler, PhD, RN, is Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine and Core Investigator, CADRE, Iowa City VA. Her interests include sexual violence in the military, and interventions engaging war veterans in mental health care.
Article info
Publication history
Published online: February 18, 2020
Accepted:
January 14,
2020
Received in revised form:
January 6,
2020
Received:
May 23,
2019
Footnotes
Funding Statement: This research was supported by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Services Research & Development (HSR&D) Service (HSR&D DHI 05-059, DHI 08-136) and The Department of Defense (DoD Award W81XWH-08-2-0080 PTO log #PT075819), to Dr. Sadler. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the Department of Veterans Affairs or the United States government. There are no financial conflicts to disclose.
Identification
Copyright
Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of Jacobs Institute of Women's Health.
