Risk factors for posttraumatic stress disorders among State Department employees returning from Iraq

مرکز و کتابخانه مطالعات اسلامی به زبان های اروپایی

منو

" Risk factors for posttraumatic stress disorders among State Department employees returning from Iraq "
Judith L. Vardy-Corbett F. Gomez

Document Type	:	Latin Dissertation
Language of Document	:	English
Record Number	:	55375
Doc. No	:	TL25329
Call number	:	‭3335874‬
Main Entry	:	Judith L. Vardy-Corbett
Title & Author	:	Risk factors for posttraumatic stress disorders among State Department employees returning from Iraq\ Judith L. Vardy-Corbett
College	:	TUI University
Date	:	2008
Degree	:	Ph.D.
student score	:	2008
Page No	:	152
Abstract	:	This dissertation investigated the relationship between State Department employees working in the International Zone and the Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Iraq and whether attendance to an Outbriefing program made a difference in Posttraumatic symptoms. A secondary aim of this research was to assess the direct effect of depression and trauma exposure on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Research studies conducted on military subjects showed that deployment and exposure to trauma result in an increased risk of posttraumatic stress disorder, major depression, substance abuse, functional impairment, and increased use of health care services. It is hypothesized that civilians are at an equal or greater risk as the military serving in combat roles. State Department employees serving in Iraq represent a new reality for the Foreign Service. Diplomats are accustomed to danger and hardship but they are not soldiers. It is not unreasonable to ask what role, if any, the Foreign Service should have in active war zones. The mental health effects of State Department employees returning from Iraq are of increasing concern. The overarching hypothesis for this study was that State Department personnel working in The Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRT) would report greater posttraumatic stress symptoms than their coworkers who lived and worked in the International Zone (IZ). The prediction was that PRT employees would demonstrate more posttraumatic symptoms due to their difficult living and working environments as well as the perceived threats they experienced. The study also predicted that employees who did not attend the Outbrief Program upon return from Iraq would have higher posttraumatic symptoms than those employees who did attend. This would demonstrate they were less informed of posttraumatic symptoms and were less aware of resources for support and treatment. This was the first study to examine posttraumatic stress symptoms in State Department employees working in Iraq. Results indicate that Work Environment (p = .75) and Outbrief Attendance (p = .12) do not add independent information in predicting posttraumatic stress scores; however the covariate variables depression and trauma exposure were significant predictors (p = .001). The multiple regression analyses in this study consistently showed that depression was strongly correlated with PTSD scores. The study suggests that deployment in itself may not lead to the onset of Posttraumatic stress but rather exposure during deployment contributes to the onset of symptoms. These findings were discussed in relation to the Rudolph Moos environmental stress and coping model.
Subject	:	Health and environmental sciences; Psychology; State Department; Posttraumatic stress disorders; Iraq; Depression; Debriefing programs; Noncombat-related PTSD; Mental health; Occupational health; Clinical psychology; 0347:Mental health; 0622:Clinical psychology; 0354:Occupational health
Added Entry	:	F. Gomez
Added Entry	:	TUI University