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COVID-19 Personal Experiences and Posttraumatic Stress in National Guard Service Members
Holly B Herberman Mash1,2, Carol S Fullerton1, Amy B Adler3
1Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.
Personal experiences with COVID-19, including losing a loved one, significantly increased posttraumatic stress symptoms and disorder risk in National Guard members. This highlights the need for targeted mental health support for service members.
Area of Science:
- Military Medicine
- Psychiatry
- Public Health
Background:
- The National Guard (NG) played a crucial role in the U.S. COVID-19 pandemic response.
- Understanding the mental health impact of personal COVID-19 experiences on NG members is vital for effective support.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between personal COVID-19 experiences and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and disorder (PTSD) in National Guard service members.
- To inform strategies for identifying and supporting the mental well-being of service members during health crises.
Main Methods:
- Surveyed 3,993 National Guard members between August and December 2020.
- Assessed personal COVID-19 experiences (personal infection, family infection, or close contact with a COVID-19 death).
- Utilized the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) to measure PTSS and probable PTSD; employed regression analyses.
Main Results:
- 32% of participants reported at least one personal COVID-19 experience.
- Personal COVID-19 experiences were associated with higher PTSS, even after adjusting for demographics and service factors.
- Close relationship with someone who died from COVID-19 was linked to significantly higher PTSS and nearly 3 times increased odds of PTSD.
Conclusions:
- Personal COVID-19 experiences are a significant risk factor for increased PTSS and PTSD in National Guard members.
- Findings can assist in selecting service members for activation and identifying those requiring mental health care.
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