Complicated Family Reintegration in OEF-OIF Veterans

项目摘要/摘要：OEF-OIF退伍军人复杂的家庭团聚 项目背景：家庭成员可以成为返回服役人员的巨大支持来源，但在 这些关系可能会增加重新适应平民生活的难度。系统性的研究相对较少。 战时部署后重新融入家庭的问题研究，特别是与创伤相关的角色 这些症状限制了成功重返社会及其对家庭功能的影响。更好地理解家庭 重返社会和家庭运作将有助于为在这些领域遇到困难的退伍军人制定干预措施。 区域。 项目目标：我们计划在费城地区招募200多名已婚/伴侣退伍军人 在OEF-OIF冲突中，从部署返回的2年内。我们将评估家庭重新融合的程度 有精神症状的退伍军人中的问题从没有到高度骚乱不等。我们将测试 焦虑和抑郁症状是否与最初的评估和再次评估的家庭功能有关 在一年内。我们还将测试精神症状对后续家庭功能的影响是否通过 家庭重新融合的进程。在样本的一个子集中，我们将评估主观报告中的抑郁和 焦虑症状可能会干扰重新融入社会的进程。 项目方法：我们计划从费城退伍军人医疗中心招募退伍军人及其家属 横断面和纵向研究。将与退伍军人及其配偶进行面谈，在 通过弗吉尼亚医疗中心，或通过电话使用一套结构化的面试评估。面谈将评估焦虑情绪， 抑郁和其他精神症状、家庭团聚、总体家庭功能和一系列人口统计 和服兵役协变量。还将使用与退伍军人及其配偶进行定性访谈的其他方法 研究精神症状对家庭团聚和家庭问题的主观影响。 对退伍军人护理的预期影响：这项研究将提供有助于该系统发展更好外展的发现 以及为归国退伍军人提供的服务。具体地说，这些发现将通知咨询和精神病服务机构，这些服务将 帮助他们回归平民生活，精神障碍是否以及如何阻碍重新适应和重新融入社会，并扩大 我们对退伍军人在部署后期间的家庭经历的了解。这些发现在很大程度上 与退伍军人事务部和更广泛的兵役界的任务有关。首先，退伍军人事务部寻求改善 这是为了保护退伍军人的健康和福祉，并增进他们家庭的福祉。家庭成员的支持 返回的退伍军人是他们部署后时期的关键部分，并了解如何帮助退伍军人和他们的 家庭在这一过程中至关重要。

Project Summary/Abstract: Complicated Family Reintegration in OEF-OIF Veterans Project Background: Family members can be a great source of support to returning service members, but problems in these relationships can add to the difficulty of readjustment to civilian life. There has been relatively little systematic research on problems in family reintegration after a wartime deployment, especially regarding the role that trauma-related symptoms have in limiting successful reintegration and the impact on family functioning. A better understanding of family reintegration and family functioning would assist the creation of interventions for veterans experiencing difficulties in these areas. Project Objectives: We plan to recruit in the Philadelphia area over 200 married/partnered military veterans who served in the OEF-OIF conflicts within 2 years of return from deployment. We will assess the degree of family reintegration problems of among veterans with psychiatric symptoms ranging from none to a high level of disturbance. We will test whether anxiety and depressive symptoms are associated with family functioning at the initial assessment and also again in 1 year. We will also test whether the impact of psychiatric symptoms on subsequent family functioning is mediated by the process of family reintegration. In a subset of the sample, we will assess the subjective reports of how depressive and anxiety symptoms may interfere with the reintegration process. Project Methods: We plan to recruit veterans and their family members from the Philadelphia VA Medical Center for this cross-sectional and longitudinal study. Assessments will be conducted with the veteran, his/her spouse by interview at the VA Medical Center, or by telephone using a structured set of interview assessments. The interviews will assess anxiety, depressive and other psychiatric symptoms, family reintegration, overall family functioning, and a range of demographic and military service covariates. Additional qualitative interview methods with the veterans and their spouses will be used to examine the subjective impact of psychiatric symptoms on family reintegration and family problems. Anticipated Impacts on Veterans Care: This study will provide findings that will help the system develop better outreach and services for returning veterans. Specifically, the findings will inform the counseling and psychiatric services that will help them return to civilian life, whether and how psychiatric difficulties impede readjustment and reintegration, and extend our knowledge about the family experiences of military veterans in the post-deployment period. These findings are highly relevant to the mission of the VA and the broader military service community. First and foremost, the VA seeks to improve the health and well-being of veterans and to enhance the well-being of their families. The support of family members of returning veterans is a key part of their post-deployment period, and understanding how to assist veterans and their families in this process is crucial.