Comparison of Select Health Outcomes by Deployment Health Assessment Completion

The Department of Defense (DoD) requires service members to complete regular health assessments for identification of deployment-related physical/behavioral issues and environmental/occupational exposures. Compliance among active duty Department of the Navy personnel varies; however, and the impact of incomplete assessments on generalizability of results is unclear. This study examines the differences between Navy and Marine Corps service members who completed both the Post-Deployment Health Assessment and Post-Deployment Health Reassessment (n = 9,452) as compared to service members who never attempted either form (n = 5,603) in fiscal year 2010. Deployment rosters, assessments, and clinical data were analyzed to determine certified assessment completion rates and incidence of certain health conditions in these populations. Only 38.9% of applicable personnel met the completion and certification criteria for the required assessments. Service members who did not complete the forms were distinctly different demographically and at increased risk for psychotropic drug use, post-traumatic stress disorder diagnosis, and traumatic brain injury diagnosis following deployment. The prevailing assumption that the risk of adverse health effects on operational forces can be estimated using the population that completed the required assessments is incorrect, and the true operational impact and medical burden of these conditions may be underestimated.