title: Mental health outcomes in US and UK military personnel returning from Iraq.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Research of military personnel who deployed to the conflicts in Iraq or Afghanistan has suggested that there are differences in mental health outcomes between UK and US military personnel.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), hazardous alcohol consumption, aggressive behaviour and multiple physical symptoms in US and UK military personnel deployed to Iraq.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were from one US (n = 1560) and one UK (n = 313) study of post-deployment military health of army personnel who had deployed to Iraq during 2007-2008. Analyses were stratified by high- and low-combat exposure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant differences in combat exposure and sociodemographics were observed between US and UK personnel; controlling for these variables accounted for the difference in prevalence of PTSD, but not in the total symptom level scores. Levels of hazardous alcohol consumption (low-combat exposure: odds ratio (OR) = 0.13, 95% CI 0.07-0.21; high-combat exposure: OR = 0.23, 95% CI 0.14-0.39) and aggression (low-combat exposure: OR = 0.36, 95% CI 0.19-0.68) were significantly lower in US compared with UK personnel. There was no difference in multiple physical symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Differences in self-reported combat exposures explain most of the differences in reported prevalence of PTSD. Adjusting for self-reported combat exposures and sociodemographics did not explain differences in hazardous alcohol consumption or aggression.
authors.affiliation: Josefin Sundin, PhD, King's College London, Academic Centre for Defence Mental Health (ACDMH), London, UK; Richard K. Herrell, PhD, Charles W. Hoge, MD, Center for Military Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA; Nicola T. Fear, DPhil(Oxon), King's College London, King's Centre for Military Health Research (KCMHR), London, UK; Amy B. Adler, PhD, US Army Medical Research Unit-Europe, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, Heidelberg, Germany; Neil Greenberg, MD, King's College London, Academic Centre for Defence Mental Health (ACDMH), London, UK; Lyndon A. Riviere, PhD, Jeffrey L. Thomas, PhD, Center for Military Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA; Simon Wessely, MD, King's College London, King's Centre for Military Health Research (KCMHR), London, UK; Paul D. Bliese, PhD, Center for Military Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Josefin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sundin
authors.forename: Richard K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Herrell
authors.forename: Charles W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Hoge
authors.forename: Nicola T
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Fear
authors.forename: Amy B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Adler
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Greenberg
authors.forename: Lyndon A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Riviere
authors.forename: Jeffrey L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wessely
authors.forename: Paul D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Bliese
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003130:Combat Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D054542:Iraq War, 2003-2011; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D015995:Prevalence; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult