Combat exposure and behavioral health in U.S. Army Special Forces

Although combat has been found to be associated with adverse health outcomes, little is known about the impact of specific combat exposures, particularly among specialized personnel. This study examined the association of different types of combat exposures with behavioral health outcomes, and wheth...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2022-06, Vol.17 (6), p.e0270515-e0270515
Main Authors: Rivera, Anna C, LeardMann, Cynthia A, Rull, Rudolph P, Cooper, Adam, Warner, Steve, Faix, Dennis, Deagle, Edwin, Neff, Rob, Caserta, Ryan, Adler, Amy B
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alcohol
Alcohol use
Armed forces
Behavioral health care
Biology and Life Sciences
Care and treatment
Drinking behavior
Endorsements
Evaluation
Exposure
Health aspects
Medicine and Health Sciences
Mental depression
Mental disorders
Mental health
Military personnel
Military service
People and Places
Personnel
Post traumatic stress disorder
Psychological aspects
Regression analysis
Regression models
Research and Analysis Methods
Sleep
Social Sciences
Special forces
Specialization
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Summary:Although combat has been found to be associated with adverse health outcomes, little is known about the impact of specific combat exposures, particularly among specialized personnel. This study examined the association of different types of combat exposures with behavioral health outcomes, and whether these associations differed by Army occupational specialization: General Purpose Forces infantrymen (n = 5,361), Ranger Qualified infantrymen (n = 308), and Special Forces personnel (n = 593). Multivariable regression models estimated the association of combat severity, type of combat event (fighting, killing, threat to oneself, death/injury of others), and type of killing with mental health disorders, trouble sleeping, and problem drinking. Combat severity, each type of combat event, and killing noncombatants were associated with adverse health outcomes after adjusting for covariates and other combat exposures. Except for trouble sleeping, these associations did not differ by occupational specialization, though the prevalence and odds of outcomes were generally lower for Special Forces personnel.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0270515