Family Adaptation to OIF Deployment

描述（由申请人提供）：超过210万服役人员至少部署一次支持持久自由行动或伊拉克自由行动（OIF），许多当代军人家庭都很紧张。最近的部署对家庭的影响在很大程度上是未知的，尽管现有证据表明部署对家庭造成了相当大的损失，导致心理困扰、行为问题和家庭不和。这种心理障碍可能会带来巨大的社会成本。军事伙伴/配偶占美国劳动力的很大一部分，是心理健康服务的潜在受益者。同样，军人子女的福祉和未来的生产力对社会至关重要。从以前的部署研究表明，战区退伍军人创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）会给家庭带来不良心理社会结果的显著额外风险。然而，关于部署前特征、社会支持和战斗退伍军人创伤后应激障碍症状的过程如何影响家庭适应，特别是在最近部署的背景下，所知甚少。拟议工作的直接目的是检查OIF退伍军人创伤后应激障碍症状（以及部署前至部署后8年的症状轨迹）与家庭心理健康结果和家庭功能的关系。长期目标是利用研究结果，通过向军人/退伍军人家庭成员通报服务提供目标和预防干预措施，加强家庭心理健康适应部署。我们假设OIF退伍军人创伤后应激障碍，特别是慢性创伤后应激障碍，将与较差的家庭结果有关，并且风险和恢复力变量(例如，家庭社会

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): With over 2.1 million service members deployed at least once in support of Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), many contemporary military families are strained. The impact of recent deployments on the family is largely unknown, although available evidence suggests that deployments take a considerable toll on families, leading to psychological distress, behavioral problems, and family discord. Such psychosocial dysfunction likely comes with substantial societal costs. Military partners/spouses comprise a large proportion of the US workforce and are potential beneficiaries of mental health services. Likewise, the well-being and future productivity of military children are critical to society. Research from previous deployments suggests that warzone veteran posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) confers significant additional risk of poor psychosocial outcomes in families. Little is known, however, about how pre-deployment characteristics, social support, and the course of combat veteran PTSD symptoms influence family adaptation, especially in the context of recent deployments. The immediate aim of the proposed work is to examine associations of OIF veteran PTSD symptoms (and symptoms trajectories, pre-deployment to 8 years post-deployment) with family mental health outcomes and family functioning. The longer term goal is to use study findings to enhance family mental health adaptation to deployment by informing service delivery targets and prevention interventions among military/military veteran family members. We hypothesize that OIF veteran PTSD, especially if chronic, will be associated with poorer family outcomes, and that risk and resilience variables (e.g., family social support, veteran characteristics) will moderate the impact of veteran PTSD on family outcomes. This unique observational study involves primary data collection from the family members (N = 380 families) of previously followed nationally-dispersed OIF veterans, which will be analyzed with the large body of archived OIF veteran data collected from the Neurocognition Deployment Health Study and VA Cooperative Study Program (CSP) #566. The OIF veteran data are distinct from other efforts because they contain self-report questionnaires, interview data, and objective, neuropsychological performance data in the context of longitudinal measurement of veteran mental health (beginning prior to deployment). Family data will encompass self-report questionnaires and phone interviews, with family outcomes relevant to spouses/partners, children, and overall family cohesion. The VA CSP presents a cost-effective platform for contacting veteran cohort members and accessing archived veteran data.