Model of deployment factors affecting mental health of deployed Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel
Mental health support among deployed ADF personnel continues to be a major priority for the ADF. This support takes many forms including a debriefing process which uses a questionnaire to screen recently deployed personnel for mental health issues. The questionnaire is administered to personnel as they return home from deployment and a similar version is administered several months later to follow-up on their reintegration. The questionnaire includes
several measures of psychological health, some basic demographic items and questions surrounding personnel’s perceptions of the deployment.
Based on a review of the current literature, a model was developed that made hypotheses about the impact of traumatic events, morale, and the deployment experience on psychological well-being and reckless behaviours such as alcohol consumption. Relationships within the model were examined for personnel who were exposed to trauma and the results are discussed. It was also hypothesised that external factors, in this case the presence of a marital
relationship, may have a greater impact on mental health outcomes than more traditional predictors.
