IN-DEPTH: Investigating the dynamics of depression within the military

Introduction

In comparison to the non-military population, military personnel have an elevated risk of developing mental health issues. Deployments, particularly those involving exposure to combat situations, significantly increase the risks of mental health problems. Depression is one of the most common issues within the military context and negatively impacts various factors such as work performance, physical health, and work dropout.
IN-DEPTH is a study examining multiple aspects of depression within the military. Various research questions will be addressed using existing datasets.

Long-term development of depressive symptoms after deployment

Prior PRISMO research has shown that depressive symptoms can persist in veterans up to 10 years after deployment. As part of the current study investigating the dynamics of depression within the military, we aimed to gain insight into the differences among veterans regarding the development of these depressive symptoms after deployment. Can we distinguish different depression trajectories? Understanding the long-term development of depressive symptoms can assist in improving decisions regarding deployments or healthcare policy.

Risk factors for developing depressive symptoms after deployment

Subsequently, it is interesting to investigate whether we can identify risk factors for the long-term development of depression. If we can already determine before deployment which military personnel are at higher risk of developing depressive symptoms, this can help us provide the right care and make appropriate decisions regarding deployments.

Project overview

Objective:

Investigating the dynamics of depression within the military:
1.    Gaining insight in the long-term development of depressive symptoms from pre-deployment to 10-years post deployment.
2.    Identifying Risk factors for developing depressive symptoms after deployment.

Study population:

Military personnel

Results:

Long-term development of depressive symptoms after deployment

The results of the research can be found via this link. 

In short, based on the PRISMO data, four trajectories for depressive symptoms were identified: resilient (65%), intermediate-stable (20%), symptomatic-chronic (9%), and late-onset increasing (6%). These trajectories were associated with early traumas, deployment stressors, and PTSD symptoms. The majority of the sample fell within the resilient trajectory, supporting the notion that deployed military personnel possess a high level of resilience. In future research, we aim to identify risk factors for the long-term development of depression. Which variables before deployment indicate something about the development of depression after deployment?