PTSD in Service Members and New Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars: A Bibliography and Critique

Bliese, P. D., Wright, K. M., Adler, A. B., Thomas, J. L., & Hoge, C. W. (2007). Timing of postcombat mental health assessments. Psychological Services, 4, 141-148. When soldiers return from combat and peacekeeping operations, the United States and many NATO and Partnership for Peace countries conduct some form of postdeployment mental health assessment. In this study, the authors examined the degree to which timing was related to reported prevalence rates of mental health problems in a matched sample of 509 US Army soldiers returning from combat in Iraq. Results showed significant increases in mental health problems at 120 days postdeployment relative to immediate reintegration. The findings are discussed in terms of providing mental health services to soldiers returning from combat. [abstract adapted] Browne, T., Hull, L., Horn, O., Jones, M., Murphy, D., Fear. N. T., et al. (2007). Explanations for the increase in mental health problems in UK reserve forces who have served in Iraq. British Journal of Psychiatry, 190, 484-489. Deployment to the 2003 Iraq War was associated with ill health in reserve armed forces personnel. To investigate reasons for the excess of ill health in reservists, UK personnel who were deployed to the 2003 Iraq War completed a health survey about experiences on deployment to Iraq. Health status was measured using self-report of common mental disorders, PTSD, fatigue, physical symptoms and well-being. Reservists reported higher exposure to traumatic experiences, lower unit cohesion, more problems adjusting to homecoming and lower marital satisfaction. Most health outcomes could be explained by role, experience of traumatic events or unit cohesion in theatre. PTSD symptoms were the one exception and were paradoxically most powerfully affected by differences in problems at home rather than events in Iraq. The increased ill-health of reservists appears to be due to experiences on deployment and difficulties with homecoming. [abstract adapted] VolUME 20/No. 1 wINTER 2009 PAGE 3