title: Deployment Experiences, Social Support, and Mental Health: Comparison of Black, White, and Hispanic U.S. Veterans Deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq.
abstract: Compared to their White counterparts, Black and Hispanic Vietnam-era, male, combat veterans in the United States have experienced discrimination and increased trauma exposure during deployment and exhibited higher rates of postdeployment mental health disorders. The present study examined differences in deployment experiences and postdeployment mental health among male and female Black, Hispanic, and White veterans deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq. Data were drawn from a national survey of veterans (N = 924) who had returned from deployment within the last 2 years. Ethnoracial minority veterans were compared to White veterans of the same gender on deployment experiences and postdeployment mental health. The majority of comparisons did not show significant differences; however, several small group differences did emerge (.02 < η(2) < .04). Ethnoracial minority veterans reported greater perceived threat in the warzone and more family-related concerns and stressors during deployment than White veterans of the same gender. Minority female veterans reported higher levels of postdeployment symptoms of anxiety than their White counterparts, which were accounted for by differences in deployment experience. These differences call for ongoing monitoring.
authors.affiliation: Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Veterans Affairs Capitol Health Care Network (VISN 5), Baltimore, Maryland, USA.|Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Anjana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Muralidharan
authors.affiliation: Veterans Affairs Maryland Healthcare System (VAMHCS), Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Austern
authors.affiliation: Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Veterans Affairs Capitol Health Care Network (VISN 5), Baltimore, Maryland, USA.|Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hack
authors.affiliation: National Center for PTSD, Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.|Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Dawne
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vogt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D055826:Afghan Campaign 2001-; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D054542:Iraq War, 2003-2011; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055500:Resilience, Psychological; D057566:Self Report; D012944:Social Support; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data