Chelsea J Sterne, Sarah E Zwetzig, Sarah Vacek, Kiara H Buccellato, Casey L Straud, Monty T Baker, Alyssa R Ojeda Rogers, Willie J Hale, Stacey Young-McCaughan, Brian A Moore, Cynthia L Lancaster, Richard J McNally, William C Isler, Brett T Litz, Lauren M Koch, Jim Mintz, Alan L Peterson
{"title":"Psychological risk and resiliency in female and male military medical personnel across the deployment cycle.","authors":"Chelsea J Sterne, Sarah E Zwetzig, Sarah Vacek, Kiara H Buccellato, Casey L Straud, Monty T Baker, Alyssa R Ojeda Rogers, Willie J Hale, Stacey Young-McCaughan, Brian A Moore, Cynthia L Lancaster, Richard J McNally, William C Isler, Brett T Litz, Lauren M Koch, Jim Mintz, Alan L Peterson","doi":"10.1177/17455057261492007","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>BackgroundDespite the increasing number of female service members in the US and internationally, previous studies examining gender-specific deployment outcomes are limited due to disproportionate sample sizes. Military medical personnel serve as a promising population to better understand gender-specific military psychological outcomes across a deployment cycle.ObjectivesTo evaluate differences in risk factors and psychological health in female and male medical personnel across a combat deployment.DesignA cross sectional cohort study of medical personnel (48% female) in the United States Air Force deployed to Iraq between 2004 and 2011 assessed predeployment (N = 759), middeployment (N = 902), and postdeployment (N = 270).MethodsSelf-reports of traumatic life events, attitudes about deployment experiences, resilience, posttraumatic growth, and symptoms of posttraumatic stress, depression, and anxiety were collected.ResultsAt predeployment, females reported greater exposure to traumatic events (<i>t</i> = -3.19, <i>d</i> = -0.23, <i>P</i> < .001), more negative attitudes about the military (<i>t</i> = 3.94, <i>d</i> = 0.29, <i>P</i> < .001), higher symptoms of depression (<i>t</i> = -2.83, <i>d</i> = -0.21, <i>P</i> = .005), and lower resilience (<i>t</i> = 2.41, <i>d</i> = 0.18, <i>P</i> = .016). At middeployment, females reported more negative military experiences (<i>t</i> = 3.51, <i>d</i> = 0.58, <i>P</i> < .001). At postdeployment, females reported more negative military experiences (<i>t</i> = 2.49, <i>d</i> = 0.53, <i>P</i> = .015), greater exposure to military healthcare stressors (<i>t</i> = -2.66, <i>d</i> = 0.57, <i>P</i> = .009), greater severity of posttraumatic stress (<i>t</i> = -3.48, <i>d</i> = 0.74, <i>P</i> < .001) and depression symptoms (<i>t</i> = -3.79, <i>d</i> = -0.81, <i>P</i> < .001).ConclusionsFemale and male medical personnel responded similarly for most deployment-related outcomes. However, some psychological sequalae are higher for females, possibly due to a reduced sense of resiliency prior to deployment and less positive outlook towards the military mission.</p>","PeriodicalId":75327,"journal":{"name":"Women's health (London, England)","volume":"22 ","pages":"17455057261492007"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9000,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Women's health (London, England)","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1177/17455057261492007","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2026/9/22 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"","JCRName":"","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
BackgroundDespite the increasing number of female service members in the US and internationally, previous studies examining gender-specific deployment outcomes are limited due to disproportionate sample sizes. Military medical personnel serve as a promising population to better understand gender-specific military psychological outcomes across a deployment cycle.ObjectivesTo evaluate differences in risk factors and psychological health in female and male medical personnel across a combat deployment.DesignA cross sectional cohort study of medical personnel (48% female) in the United States Air Force deployed to Iraq between 2004 and 2011 assessed predeployment (N = 759), middeployment (N = 902), and postdeployment (N = 270).MethodsSelf-reports of traumatic life events, attitudes about deployment experiences, resilience, posttraumatic growth, and symptoms of posttraumatic stress, depression, and anxiety were collected.ResultsAt predeployment, females reported greater exposure to traumatic events (t = -3.19, d = -0.23, P < .001), more negative attitudes about the military (t = 3.94, d = 0.29, P < .001), higher symptoms of depression (t = -2.83, d = -0.21, P = .005), and lower resilience (t = 2.41, d = 0.18, P = .016). At middeployment, females reported more negative military experiences (t = 3.51, d = 0.58, P < .001). At postdeployment, females reported more negative military experiences (t = 2.49, d = 0.53, P = .015), greater exposure to military healthcare stressors (t = -2.66, d = 0.57, P = .009), greater severity of posttraumatic stress (t = -3.48, d = 0.74, P < .001) and depression symptoms (t = -3.79, d = -0.81, P < .001).ConclusionsFemale and male medical personnel responded similarly for most deployment-related outcomes. However, some psychological sequalae are higher for females, possibly due to a reduced sense of resiliency prior to deployment and less positive outlook towards the military mission.
尽管美国和国际上女性服役人员的数量不断增加，但由于样本量不成比例，先前针对特定性别部署结果的研究有限。军事医务人员是一个有希望的群体，可以更好地了解在整个部署周期中按性别区分的军事心理结果。目的评价某次战斗部署中男女医务人员在危险因素和心理健康方面的差异。设计一项针对2004年至2011年间部署到伊拉克的美国空军医务人员（48%为女性）的横断面队列研究，评估了部署前（N = 759）、部署中期（N = 902）和部署后（N = 270）。方法收集创伤性生活事件的自我报告、对部署经历的态度、复原力、创伤后成长、创伤后应激、抑郁和焦虑症状。结果在部署前，女性创伤性事件暴露程度较高（t = -3.19, d = -0.23, P < 0.001），对军队的消极态度较高（t = 3.94, d = 0.29, P < 0.001），抑郁症状较高（t = -2.83, d = -0.21, P = 0.005），心理韧性较低（t = 2.41, d = 0.18, P = 0.016）。在部署中期，女性报告了更多的负面军事经历（t = 3.51, d = 0.58, P < .001）。在部署后，女性报告了更多的消极军事经历（t = 2.49, d = 0.53, P = 0.015），更多的暴露于军事保健压力源（t = -2.66, d = 0.57, P = 0.009），更严重的创伤后应激（t = -3.48, d = 0.74, P < 0.001）和抑郁症状（t = -3.79, d = -0.81, P < 0.001）。结论女性和男性医务人员对大多数部署相关结果的回答相似。然而，一些心理后遗症对女性来说更高，可能是由于部署前的恢复能力降低，对军事任务的看法不那么积极。
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