The current operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have inspired a number of research papers that shed light on the American combat experience in these conflicts, particularly as they relate to combat stress, barriers to care and their effects on military populiations including Guard and Reserve members.
Hoge, C. W., Castro, C.A., Messer, S. C., McGurk, D., Cotting, D. I., & Koffman, R. L. (2004). Combat Duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, Mental Health Problems, and Barriers to Care. The New England Journal of Medicine, 351, 13-22. For more information, please visit The New England Journal of Medicine.
This longitudinal study examines the mental health outcomes of soldiers and Marines either before or after deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan. As a result of the surveys collected, it was found that soldier and Marine participants who had returned from Iraq reported higher combat experiences and frequency of contact with the enemy; more likely to report that they were currently experiencing mental health problems, to express interest in receiving help, and to use mental health services; and higher rates of PTSD than veterans returning from Afghanistan. For more information, please visit JAMA.
Milliken, C. S., Auchterlonie, J. L., & Hoge, C. W. (2007, November 14). Longitudinal Assessment of Mental Health Problems Among Active and Reserve Component Soldiers Returning From the Iraq War. Journal of the American Medical Association, 298 (18), 2141-2148.
This longitudinal descriptive study examines the mental health responses from U.S. soldiers, both active and Reserve Components, returning from Iraq who completed both a Post-Deployment Health Assessment (PDHA) and a Post-Deployment Health Re-Assessment (PDHRA). Results show that on the PDHRA, National Guard and Army Reserve soldiers reported higher rates of interpersonal conflict, PTSD, depression, and overall mental health risk, and were also referred for mental health concerns at substantially higher rates than active soldiers. Overall, soldiers reported increased mental health concerns and were referred at much higher rates at the time of the PDHRA than at the time of the PDHA. For more information, please visit BNet.
Warner, C. H., Appenzeller, G. N., Mullen, K., Warner, C. M., & Grieger, T. (2008). Soldier Attitudes toward Mental Health Screening and Seeking Care upon Return from Combat. Military Medicine , 173, 563-569.
This study consists of a cross-sectional survey examining soldier attitudes toward post-deployment mental health screening, treatment, barriers to care, strategies for overcoming barriers and settings, personnel and timing for conducting post-deployment mental health screening. The conclusion of the study focuses on the decrease in perceived barriers to care and that programs such as Battlemind are beneficial. Particular programs in which friends and family members are educated abd encouraged to identify and to encourage soldiers are also needed. Though soldiers show a decrease in perceived barriers to care it is indicated that there should be continued efforts to reduce these perceptions.