Effect of transition home from combat on risk-taking and health-related behaviors

✍ Scribed by Amy B. Adler; Thomas W. Britt; Carl Andrew Castro; Dennis McGurk;; Paul D. Bliese

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 2011
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 111 KB
• Volume: 24
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0894-9867
• DOI: 10.1002/jts.20665

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Transition home following a combat deployment involves a period of adjustment. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of a new 16‐item transition scale were conducted with 2 samples and resulted in 4 factors (Benefit, Appreciation, Anger/Alienation, and Guilt/Remorse). In Study 1 (N = 1,651), the number of combat events was positively related to Anger/Alienation 4 months later even after controlling for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, partial r = .18, p < .001. In Study 2 (N = 647), after controlling for PTSD symptoms, Anger/Alienation assessed at 4 months postdeployment predicted more risk‐taking behaviors 4 months later, partial r = .10, p = .01. Appreciation predicted fewer unhealthy habits, partial r = −.13, p = .001, whereas Anger/Alienation predicted more unhealthy habits, partial r = .09, p = .024. Results demonstrate the importance of broadening the conceptualization of adjustment in combat veterans.