title: Mental health diagnosis and occupational functioning in National Guard/Reserve veterans returning from Iraq.
abstract: Occupational functioning represents both an important outcome for military service members returning from Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom and a predictor for long-term mental health functioning. We investigated the role of mental health diagnoses, determined by structured clinical interviews, on occupational functioning in a group of 262 National Guard/Reserve service members within 1 year of returning from a 16-month OIF combat deployment. We assessed occupational functioning at the time of diagnostic interviews and 1 year later. We hypothesized that service members with diagnoses of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and/or alcohol abuse or dependence would exhibit lower rates of employment at both time points and lower rates of reported work and/or school role functioning. Service members with a diagnosis of PTSD (5%, n = 13), subthreshold PTSD (6%, n = 15), a major depressive disorder (11%, n = 29), or alcohol abuse or dependence (11%, n = 28) did not differ on employment status from service members without a diagnosis at either time point. However, those with a diagnosis of PTSD, depression, and/or alcohol abuse or dependence reported lower levels of work role functioning. In addition, service members with a diagnosis of PTSD reported greater rates of deterioration in work role functioning over time.
authors.affiliation: Minneapolis VA Health Care System (116A6), One Veterans Drive, Minneapolis, MN 55417, USA. christopher.erbes@va.gov
authors.forename: Christopher R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Erbes
authors.forename: Matthew E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Kaler
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schult
authors.forename: Melissa A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Polusny
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Arbisi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D004651:Employment; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D054542:Iraq War, 2003-2011; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012307:Risk Factors; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D040921:Stress Disorders, Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology*