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Postdeployment Treatment Gap: Symptoms and Treatment Utilization Among Returning National Guard Soldiers.

Simon B GoldbergAnthony W P FlynnMaleeha AbbasMegan E SchultzMichele HiserodtKathryn A ThomasKasey KallioMary F Wyman
Published in: The Counseling psychologist (2022)
This study evaluated rates of psychiatric symptoms and mental health treatment utilization among National Guard service members during the post-deployment period. National Guard service members ( n =311) completed surveys assessing demographics, beliefs about mental health treatment, emotion regulation strategies, and psychiatric symptoms. Mental health treatment utilization was assessed at 6-month follow-up. Post-deployment, 41.2% of the sample had psychiatric symptoms above the clinical cut-off for at least one symptom measure. This proportion increased at follow-up (53.5%). Alcohol use disorder (AUD) symptoms showed the largest increase ( d =0.66), although symptoms of depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) also showed small magnitude increases. Among those with elevated symptoms post-deployment ( n =128), only 27.8% received mental health treatment at follow-up. Severity of depression, anxiety, and PTSD were higher among those who utilized treatment. The post-deployment period is a vulnerable one. Continued efforts to understand and address barriers to treatment for this population are warranted.
Keyphrases
  • mental health
  • healthcare
  • posttraumatic stress disorder
  • depressive symptoms
  • quality improvement
  • replacement therapy
  • smoking cessation