PTSD Trajectory, Comorbidity, and Utilization of Mental Health Services Among National Guard Soldiers

PUBLIC ABSTRACT

There is increasing deployment of Reserve forces, including the Army and Air National Guards, to US military operations worldwide. Currently, however, our understanding of the mental health of members of the National Guard is limited, and in particular, we have limited understanding of how features of daily living (for example, employment circumstances) intersect with factors related to military experience and the relative role that these factors play in shaping mental health in these groups over time.

We aim to identify the factors that are associated with mental health (particularly post-traumatic stress disorder) and the use of mental health services among members of the National Guard over time. In so doing, we will be able to identify areas of potential intervention to improve health among these groups and to support resilience to combat-related and other stressors that may arise from the their military duties.

The tasks for this project include the compilation of a structured survey instrument, building on existing survey instruments but adapted for military use, that assesses the key factors that may be associated with mental health and the use of mental health services among Guard members. We will subsequently administer the structured survey to a random sample of 1,000 Guard members who are selected from available lists of the National Guard nationally. The survey will be about 25 minutes long. We will then follow up these same individuals annually for a total of three survey waves. We will analyze the data and prepare reports that are accessible to military and civilian policymakers as well as to scientific audiences.