Combat deployment experiences and soldier mental health: Examining the factor structure of a combat experiences scale
- Sherman, H., Frye-Cox, N., & Lucier-Greer, M. (2021). Combat deployment experiences and solider mental health: Examining the factor structure of a combat experiences scale. Military Medicine, usab456. https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usab456
- Using data from 14,860 Soldiers, this study examined whether distinct combat experiences emerged that were differentially related to mental health. Links among combat experiences, post-deployment coping, and subsequent mental health symptoms (i.e., anxiety and depression) were examined while accounting for individual (e.g., gender) and interpersonal (e.g., marital status) characteristics. Two distinct forms of combat experiences were identified: expected combat experiences and responsibility for non-enemy deaths. When Soldiers reported responsibility for non-enemy deaths, it was associated with poorer post-deployment coping and, in turn, more mental health symptoms.
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