Mental health and retention of deployed Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel
The retention of ADF personnel is of the highest priority with high operational commitments and shortages in
numerous trades. The recent Australian Government Budget 2007-2008 has addressed this threat with a further $2.1 billion to be spent on growing military numbers over 10 years. In addition, due to the high operational tempo environment, the screening and monitoring of the impact of deployments on ADF personnel is vital. In light of current retention targets and high operational tempo impacting Defence capability this paper aims to explore the relationship
between mental health measures and ADF personnel discharge intentions and actual leaving behaviour.
Previous research into this topic by Deans (2002) utilised Return to Australia Psychological Screen (RtAPS) questionnaires and Mental Health Screens (MHS) focusing on deployments dates of Jan 1999 to Mar 2001. Since then, the mental health instruments used to examine ADF personnel have been updated and no research has been conducted to provide a current snapshot of the relationship between mental health and discharge intentions and leaving behaviour. Consequently, in an attempt to explore and compare this relationship with past research, ADF mental health, discharge intentions and leaving behaviour will be analysed with revised mental health
instruments.
Data from RtAPS questionnaires were examined to address the current research question, drawing from personnel from the three Services deployed to Operation Catalyst (Australia’s Defence contribution to the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Iraq). The relationship between mental health and associated factors (such as morale) and ADF personnel discharge intentions/leaving behaviour will be discussed.
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