Associations of Stress Exposures and Social Support With Long-Term Mental Health Outcomes Among U.S. Iraq War Veterans

Behavior Therapy
Maria M CiarleglioJennifer J Vasterling

Abstract

The long-term mental health effects of war-zone deployment in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars on military personnel are a significant public health concern. Using data collected prospectively at three distinct assessments during 2003-2014 as part of the Neurocognition Deployment Health Study and VA Cooperative Studies Program Study #566, we explored how stress exposures prior, during, and after return from deployment influence the long-term mental health outcomes of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety disorders, and problem drinking. Longer-term mental health outcomes were assessed in 375 service members and military veterans an average of 7.5 years (standard deviation = 1.0 year) after the initial (i.e., "index") Iraq deployment following their predeployment assessment. Anxiety disorder was the most commonly observed long-term mental health outcome (36.0%), followed by depression (24.5%), PTSD (24.3%), and problem drinking (21.0%). Multivariable regression models showed that greater postdeployment stressors, as measured by the Post-Deployment Life Events scale, were associated with greater risk of depression, anxiety disorders, and problem drinking. Anxiety disorder was the only outcome affected by predeplo...Continue Reading

Citations

Apr 18, 2020·The Clinical Neuropsychologist·Jennifer J VasterlingJohn Concato
Jul 1, 2020·Military Medicine·Brian A MooreUNKNOWN STRONG STAR Consortium
Feb 15, 2021·Psychoneuroendocrinology·Corinne D WarrenerJames K Rilling
Aug 14, 2021·Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology·Jeanette Bonde PollmannKaren-Inge Karstoft
Sep 21, 2021·The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry·Anthony BarnettDan I Lubman
Jan 19, 2022·Psychological Medicine·Sija J van der WalEric Vermetten

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