By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Mental Health Weekly Digest -- Research findings on Mental Health are discussed in a new report. According to news reporting out of West Lafayette, Indiana, by NewsRx editors, research stated, 'Previous research has shown that military women often experience potentially severe health outcomes following deployment. Data from the Millennium Cohort Study, a 21-year longitudinal study examining the health effects of military service, were used to examine this issue.'
Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from Purdue University, 'In longitudinal analyses (20012008) carried out among US military women (n 17,481), the authors examined positive screens for depression, anxiety, panic, and posttraumatic stress disorder in relation to deployment in support of the operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, while adjusting for relevant baseline and time-varying covariates. Women who were deployed and reported combat-related exposures had greater odds than nondeployed women of reporting symptoms of a mental health condition (odds ratio 1.91, 95 confidence interval: 1.65, 2.20), after adjustment for demographic, military, and behavioral covariates. In addition, higher stress, problem drinking, and a history of mental illness were significantly associated with increased risk of later mental health conditions. In contrast, women in the Reserves or National Guard and those with higher education were at decreased risk of mental health conditions (all P s 0.01).'
According to the news editors, the researchers concluded: 'As the roles and responsibilities of women in the military expand and deployments continue, designing better prevention and recovery strategies specifically for women are critical for overall force health protection and readiness.'
For more information on this research see: Prospective Evaluation of Mental Health and Deployment Experience Among Women in the US Military. American Journal of Epidemiology, 2012;176(2):135-145. American Journal of Epidemiology can be contacted at: Oxford Univ Press Inc, Journals Dept, 2001 Evans Rd, Cary, NC 27513, USA. (Oxford University Press - www.oup.com/; American Journal of Epidemiology - aje.oxfordjournals.org)
Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting A.D. Seelig, Purdue University, Human Dev & Family Studies Department, Military Family Res Inst, West Lafayette, IN 47907, United States (see also Mental Health).
Keywords for this news article include: Indiana, United States, Mental Health, West Lafayette, Public Education, Risk and Prevention, North and Central America
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