The psychological impact of deployment on OEF/OIF healthcare providers.

The psychological impact of military experience on healthcare providers has received little attention to date. The 2005 Department of Defense Survey of Health Related Behaviors Among Active Duty Personnel was used as a secondary data source, and deployed healthcare officers and healthcare specialists were identified and compared to deployed non-healthcare officers and enlisted personnel: 6,116 respondents were surveyed. Findings revealed clinically significant psychological distress among deployed military healthcare provider respondents including posttraumatic stress symptoms, depression, anxiety, and adverse psychosocial impact, more prominent in the deployed healthcare specialist group. Based upon findings, possible factors for resilience and increased risk, as well as potential intervention needs in this healthcare provider group of service members are offered. Implications for future prospective studies are suggested.

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