Citation

Gahm GA, Lucenko BA, Retzlaff P, Fukuda S. J. Clin. Psychol. (Hoboken) 2007; 63(3): 199-211.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/jclp.20330

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Symptoms of depression and posttraumatic stress are among the most studied psychological difficulties among soldiers. Such symptoms have been linked to a history of adverse events among both civilians and combat veterans. There is a paucity of research on this topic that can be applied to an active duty clinical population. Intake screening data were reviewed for 1,626 soldiers presenting to an outpatient mental health clinic to identify variables, including history of potentially traumatic experiences, associated with screened symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Demographics such as age, gender, and military rank, as well as number of adverse childhood experiences were significant predictors of screened PTSD and depression. A history of deployment to a combat zone predicted screened PTSD, but not depression. The role of childhood abuse as a risk factor is discussed and highlighted in the etiology of symptoms for soldiers seeking mental health care. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol 63: 199–211, 2007.