Assessing Psychological Readiness in the U.S. Soldiers Following NATO operations

摘要

Since 1996 U.S. Army soldiers returning from NATO operations in the Balkans have participated in a command-directed Psychological screening program to determiine psychological readiness. This study summarizes psychological screening results from 1,043 soldiers after their return from a 1999 deployment to Albania in support if NATO's Operation Allied Force. Although the soldiers in this post-deployment study reported rates of psychological distress somewhat higher that rates reported by soldiers re-deploying from Bosnia, the overall results indicated a high level of mental health and psychological readiness. Furthermore, the findings indicated that soldiers with prior deployment to the Balkans reported lower rates of psychological distress, suggesting a 'stress inoculation effect' associated with deployment experience. The Psychological Screening Program affords soldiers an opportunity to report their mental health concerns and to receive a referral for mental health services. The screening program also provides commanders an assessment of the psychological readiness of their units.