Predicting Referral Status: Clinical Profiles in Military Psychological Screening.

摘要

Psychological screening for U.S. military began as part of the Joint Medical Surveillance Program conducted from 1996 to 1999 for personnel prior to their re-deployment from Bosnia. The program's primary goals were to provide proactive mental health outreach, project patient load, and develop a clinical profile for those requiring referral. The objective of the present study was to examine personal and clinical history variables that identify those individuals whose scores on the clinical screening indicate psychological risk. The sample consisted of 1,785 U.S. soldiers who were screened one to three months prior to their 6-month peacekeeping deployment to Kosovo. The psychological screening survey included a section on demographics, scales measuring depression, post- traumatic stress symptoms, and alcohol problems, and a series of clinical and problem history questions. Findings indicated that clinical and problem history variables predicted psychological referral status. Psychological screening, when supplemented by clinical and personal history questions can significantly enhance health surveillance initiatives.