Location
Philadelphia, PA
Start Date
10-5-2021 12:00 AM
End Date
13-5-2021 12:00 AM
Description
Introduction: The female veteran population is expected to increase over the next few decades, representing approximately 16.3% of the living population by the year 2042. As women are discharged from the military, they are frequently challenged with the tasks of reintegrating into society and adjusting to life. While some women successfully readjust, many continue to struggle with combat-related challenges and reintegration stressors such as mental health, military sexual assault, substance abuse, interpersonal relationship issues, and everyday necessities. The purpose of the present study was twofold: (a) to identify factors associated with and predictive of postdeployment distress and (b) to identify factors predictive of reintegration difficulty.
Methods: The sample consisted of 69 female veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, who deployed to either combat or noncombat war zones at least once between 1983 to 2017. Participants were recruited through listservs, local veterans’ organizations, and social media platforms. Participants completed reliable and valid measures on postdeployment life events, postdeployment support, postdeployment family experiences, perceived stress, and reintegration as well as a demographic questionnaire. The postdeployment measures were subtests from The Deployment Risk and Resilience Inventory-2 (DRRI-2). The final two assessments administered were the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Military to Civilian Questionnaire (M2C-Q). Researchers obtained approval for the study through the Institutional Review Board at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. If a female veteran met inclusion criteria and chose to be a part of the study, she was made aware that participation was voluntary and completely anonymous and then was redirected to the study’s home page. Compensation was not provided, but subjects were offered a chance to win one of six $50.00 gift cards for their participation in the study. A list of military-related resources for obtaining help was provided.
Design: A correlational/regression design was used to explore, determine, and develop a better understanding of postdeployment stressors. The linear combination of Postdeployment Life Events, Postdeployment Support, and Postdeployment Family Experiences were tested as predictors of post-deployment distress as measured by the PSS and the M2C-Q.
Results: Descriptive statistics examined the demographic characteristics of the sample. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to determine if life events, support, and family experiences scores predicted stress and reintegration difficulty. For a medium effect size at the .05 level of significance at 80% power with three predictors, a power of analysis required a minimum of 107 subjects. Test of the assumptions of multiple linear regression were conducted and there was no evidence of multicollinearity or violation of the assumptions of independent errors for either analysis. The first multiple linear regression analysis revealed a multiple correlation of r = .625, with a coefficient of determination of .390 (r2 = .390), suggesting that approximately 39% of the variance observed in stress on the PSS can be attributed to the linear combination of life events, support, and family experiences. These findings indicate that female veterans may encounter higher levels of stress with exposure to challenging life events; however, stress is decreased with the presence of support and quality family experiences. Likewise, a second multiple linear regression analysis revealed a multiple correlation of r = .668, with a coefficient of determination of .466 predicting reintegration as measured by the M2C-Q. The coefficient of determination (r2 = .446) reveals that 44.6% of the total variance of difficulty in reintegration is explained by the linear combination of life events, support, and family experiences. The results imply that lack of support and quality family experiences may lead to an increase in difficulty with reintegration, whereas higher levels of support and quality family experiences can decrease challenges with reintegration. Overall, the combination of predictive variables resulted in a prediction that life events, support, and family experiences contributed to stress and issues with reintegration. However, tests of the individual predictors revealed that specifically life events and support predicted stress in female veterans; whereas, only life events predicted difficulty with reintegration.
Interpretation and Implications: Untreated stress can interfere with domains of life and increase risks of developing into physical and mental health problems. Life events and support predicted stress while only life events predicted difficulties with reintegration. Limitations included the use of self-reports, the number of participants included in this study, and the lack of examination between the training and deployment differences across the different military branches. Future considerations should focus on expanding the number of participants; examining self-care practices and personality disorders that may contribute to the reintegration process; and, considering stressors specific to each military branch as they may relate to stress and reintegration problems.
Embargo Period
6-14-2021
Predictors of post-deployment distress in female veterans.
Philadelphia, PA
Introduction: The female veteran population is expected to increase over the next few decades, representing approximately 16.3% of the living population by the year 2042. As women are discharged from the military, they are frequently challenged with the tasks of reintegrating into society and adjusting to life. While some women successfully readjust, many continue to struggle with combat-related challenges and reintegration stressors such as mental health, military sexual assault, substance abuse, interpersonal relationship issues, and everyday necessities. The purpose of the present study was twofold: (a) to identify factors associated with and predictive of postdeployment distress and (b) to identify factors predictive of reintegration difficulty.
Methods: The sample consisted of 69 female veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, who deployed to either combat or noncombat war zones at least once between 1983 to 2017. Participants were recruited through listservs, local veterans’ organizations, and social media platforms. Participants completed reliable and valid measures on postdeployment life events, postdeployment support, postdeployment family experiences, perceived stress, and reintegration as well as a demographic questionnaire. The postdeployment measures were subtests from The Deployment Risk and Resilience Inventory-2 (DRRI-2). The final two assessments administered were the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Military to Civilian Questionnaire (M2C-Q). Researchers obtained approval for the study through the Institutional Review Board at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. If a female veteran met inclusion criteria and chose to be a part of the study, she was made aware that participation was voluntary and completely anonymous and then was redirected to the study’s home page. Compensation was not provided, but subjects were offered a chance to win one of six $50.00 gift cards for their participation in the study. A list of military-related resources for obtaining help was provided.
Design: A correlational/regression design was used to explore, determine, and develop a better understanding of postdeployment stressors. The linear combination of Postdeployment Life Events, Postdeployment Support, and Postdeployment Family Experiences were tested as predictors of post-deployment distress as measured by the PSS and the M2C-Q.
Results: Descriptive statistics examined the demographic characteristics of the sample. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to determine if life events, support, and family experiences scores predicted stress and reintegration difficulty. For a medium effect size at the .05 level of significance at 80% power with three predictors, a power of analysis required a minimum of 107 subjects. Test of the assumptions of multiple linear regression were conducted and there was no evidence of multicollinearity or violation of the assumptions of independent errors for either analysis. The first multiple linear regression analysis revealed a multiple correlation of r = .625, with a coefficient of determination of .390 (r2 = .390), suggesting that approximately 39% of the variance observed in stress on the PSS can be attributed to the linear combination of life events, support, and family experiences. These findings indicate that female veterans may encounter higher levels of stress with exposure to challenging life events; however, stress is decreased with the presence of support and quality family experiences. Likewise, a second multiple linear regression analysis revealed a multiple correlation of r = .668, with a coefficient of determination of .466 predicting reintegration as measured by the M2C-Q. The coefficient of determination (r2 = .446) reveals that 44.6% of the total variance of difficulty in reintegration is explained by the linear combination of life events, support, and family experiences. The results imply that lack of support and quality family experiences may lead to an increase in difficulty with reintegration, whereas higher levels of support and quality family experiences can decrease challenges with reintegration. Overall, the combination of predictive variables resulted in a prediction that life events, support, and family experiences contributed to stress and issues with reintegration. However, tests of the individual predictors revealed that specifically life events and support predicted stress in female veterans; whereas, only life events predicted difficulty with reintegration.
Interpretation and Implications: Untreated stress can interfere with domains of life and increase risks of developing into physical and mental health problems. Life events and support predicted stress while only life events predicted difficulties with reintegration. Limitations included the use of self-reports, the number of participants included in this study, and the lack of examination between the training and deployment differences across the different military branches. Future considerations should focus on expanding the number of participants; examining self-care practices and personality disorders that may contribute to the reintegration process; and, considering stressors specific to each military branch as they may relate to stress and reintegration problems.