Suchergebnisse

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between gender composition and group cohesion in U.S. Army combat support and combat service support units. Five studies were compared in this analysis, including survey data obtained in the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Storm; in Somalia during Operation Restore Hope; in Haiti during Operation Uphold Democracy; and in two garrison samples. A higher percentage of women in the unit was strongly associated with lower horizontal cohesion in the Somalia sample, and there was a much smaller association between these variables in the Persian Gulf sample. This relationship was present only among junior enlisted soldiers in one of the garrison surveys but was absent in the other garrison survey and in the Haiti sample. In most cases, a higher percentage of women was associated with lower cohesion. Possible reasons for differences across studies in the strength of the association may include gender differences in support for the mission and differences in deployment circumstances.

OBJECTIVE: We examined the association of U.S. Reserve Component (RC) personnel separating from military service with risk of mental health problems at three time periods. METHODS: Structured interviews were conducted with a nationally representative sample of 1,582 RC personnel at baseline and three follow-up waves from 2010–2013. Multivariate logistic regression analyses examined posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder (MDD), binge drinking, suicide ideation, and mental health diagnosis by a health provider. RESULTS: Approximately 10%, 20% and 28% of RC personnel reported separating from military service at waves 2–4. At an estimated 6 months since leaving military service, there was no differences between those who left and those who remained in service. However, at 1 year after leaving service, those who had left had higher risk of MDD, suicidal ideation, and reporting having mental health diagnosis by a health provider. At 1.6 years after leaving military service, those who had left had higher risk of reporting having mental health diagnosis by a health provider. The results were essentially unchanged after adjusting for baseline mental disorder for each outcome. CONCLUSION: Results suggest a higher risk of mental health problems in RC veterans separating, compared to those who remained in the military. This risk may not occur immediately following separation but may occur within the first year or two after separation. Transition from military to civilian life may be a critical period for interventions to address the unique needs of the RC's citizen-soldiers and reduce their risk of adverse mental health outcomes.