title: Evaluation of an inpatient preventive treatment program for soldiers returning from deployment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Since 1999, the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) have been conducting 3-weeks preventive treatment programs aimed at psychological resource-strengthening in soldiers returning from deployment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five hundred participants of these programs received the Posttraumatic Stress Scale 10 (PTSS-10) before and after treatment and the rehabilitation assessment questionnaire of the German statutory pension insurance body. Sixty control group subjects received the PTSS-10 twice in an interval of 4-5 months without therapeutic interventions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Comparison of pre- and post-treatment PTSS-10 results in the covariance analysis showed an effect of the initial PTSS-10-stress-levels and rank category, not of the intervention. On average, the treatment program received 'very good' to 'excellent' overall ratings in the rehabilitation questionnaire. The acceptance of sports and movement therapy was significantly above average, whereas that of individual and group counselling was below.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this pilot study suggest a high acceptance of the post-deployment preventive program. Effectiveness in terms of psychometric improvement cannot be proven at this point.
authors.affiliation: German Armed Forces Centre of Military Mental Health, Bundeswehr Hospital Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zimmermann
authors.affiliation: German Armed Forces Centre of Military Mental Health, Bundeswehr Hospital Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kowalski
authors.affiliation: German Armed Forces Centre of Military Mental Health, Bundeswehr Hospital Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Angelika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Niggemeier-Groben
authors.affiliation: German Armed Forces Centre of Military Mental Health, Bundeswehr Hospital Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sauer
authors.affiliation: German Armed Forces Centre of Military Mental Health, Bundeswehr Hospital Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Leonhardt
authors.affiliation: Charité University Hospital, Clinic of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ströhle
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003130:Combat Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000592:standards*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Deployment; German Armed Forces; prevention; soldiers; treatment