title: Military mental health: the role of daily hassles while deployed.
abstract: This study sought to identify factors contributing to symptoms of depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in recently deployed combat veterans. A sample of 168 active duty military personnel completed measures of combat exposure, deployment-related daily hassles, depression symptoms, and PTSD symptoms at six time points across their deployment: predeployment and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months postdeployment. Mixed-effects linear modeling with repeated measures was used to identify factors associated with depression and PTSD severity over time. Postdeployment depression severity did not change over time, but PTSD severity decreased slightly over time after returning home. Postdeployment depression severity was predicted by past (but not recent) combat exposure, daily hassles, and concurrent PTSD symptoms. Postdeployment PTSD severity was predicted by past and recent combat exposure, concurrent depression symptoms, and male sex. Depression severity mediated the relationship between daily hassles and postdeployment PTSD severity.
authors.affiliation: *342d Training Squadron, Lackland Air Force Base; †National Center for Veterans Studies, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City; and ‡Battelle Scientific Services, Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, TX.
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Heron
authors.forename: Craig J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Bryan
authors.forename: Craig A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Dougherty
authors.forename: William G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Chapman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D054542:Iraq War, 2003-2011; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data