Crane MF, Hazel G, Kunzelmann A, Kho M, Gucciardi DF, Rigotti T, Kalisch R, Karin E. An exploratory domain analysis of deployment risks and protective features and their association to mental health, cognitive functioning and job performance in military personnel.
ANXIETY, STRESS, AND COPING 2024;
37:16-28. [PMID:
37379256 DOI:
10.1080/10615806.2023.2228707]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Meta-analyses of military deployment involve the exploration of focused associations between predictors and peri and post-deployment outcomes.
OBJECTIVE
We aimed to provide a large-scale and high-level perspective of deployment-related predictors across eight peri and post-deployment outcomes.
DESIGN
Articles reporting effect sizes for associations between deployment-related features and indices of peri and post-deployment outcomes were selected. Three-hundred and fourteen studies (N = 2,045,067) and 1,893 relevant effects were retained. Deployment features were categorized into themes, mapped across outcomes, and integrated into a big-data visualization.
METHODS
Studies of military personnel with deployment experience were included. Extracted studies investigated eight possible outcomes reflecting functioning (e.g., post-traumatic stress, burnout). To allow comparability, effects were transformed into a Fisher's Z. Moderation analyses investigating methodological features were performed.
RESULTS
The strongest correlates across outcomes were emotional (e.g., guilt/shame: Z = 0.59 to 1.21) and cognitive processes (e.g., negative appraisals: Z = -0.54 to 0.26), adequate sleep on deployment (Z = -0.28 to - 0.61), motivation (Z = -0.33 to - 0.71), and use of various coping strategies/recovery strategies (Z = -0.25 to - 0.59).
CONCLUSIONS
Findings pointed to interventions that target coping and recovery strategies, and the monitoring of emotional states and cognitive processes post-deployment that may indicate early risk.
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