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Wartime experiences tied to PTSD symptoms among women in Air Force

Study findings showed that the percentage of active-duty female Air Force personnel experiencing PTSD symptoms increased as number of wartime experiences increased.

“During recent wars, female personnel served in combat zones and experienced wartime events at unprecedented levels, but currently little is known about deployment effects on women,” Nicole C. Breeden, PhD, of the Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at Penn State, and colleagues wrote in the Journal of Women’s Health. “Given the fairly recent and dramatic changes in the wartime experiences of female service members, research on this topic is still emerging.”

To better understand the relationship between wartime experiences and mental health in female military personnel, researchers examined a large sample of deployed, active duty women serving in the U.S. Air Force.

The investigators used participants’ responses to the U.S. Air Force Community Assessment Survey in 2008, 2011, or 2013 to determine the connections between wartime experiences and PTSD symptoms. The sample sizes were 18,012 in 2008, 12,249 in 2011, and 8,061 in 2013. They also assessed whether unit cohesion and self-efficacy mediated the links between wartime experiences and PTSD for women.

The results revealed that across the 3 years, positive PTSD screen rates were highest among deployed female service members with combat experiences and positive screen rates increased. The most common wartime experiences for women were indirect exposure to combat, in danger of being killed and encountering dead bodies.

The overall number of servicewomen with a positive PTSD screen increased as the number of wartime experiences rose. In 2018, 3.1% of respondents who had no wartime experiences had a positive PTSD screen, but this grew to 18.4% among women who reported four or more wartime experiences. In 2011 and 2013, 5.6% and 6.7% of respondents with no wartime experiences had a positive PTSD screen, which increased to 33.2% and 31.8% among those who reported four or more experiences.

Breeden and colleagues also found that unit cohesion and self-efficacy played a significant role in post-deployment mental health. Results for the 2008 model showed that wartime experiences were positively tied to a positive PTSD screen (OR = 1.5; P < .001); however, self-efficacy (OR = 0.25; P < .001) and unit cohesion (OR = 0.55; P < .001) were negatively associated with a positive PTSD screen. Results for the 2011 and 2013 models showed similar findings.

“Additional stressors, above and beyond typical deployment-related stress and the threat of sexual harassment, often exist for deployed female service members. Female service members are often uniquely stressed by family separations,” the authors wrote. “As the roles of female service members continue to evolve, research should continue to explore factors that contribute to their positive adjustment in the face of challenging wartime experiences.” – by Savannah Demko

Disclosure: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.