By the Numbers: 1 October 2018

By the Numbers: 1 October 2018

40%
The percentage of enlisted women diagnosed with a mental health condition within a year after a combat injury, according to a story in Military Times reporting on a study by Judy Dye, a researcher with the Naval Health Research Center -- Factors That Contribute to Mental Health in Combat Injured Military Women.

According to Dye:

The most common were posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), (n = 203, 20%), depressive disorders (n = 123, 12.1%), adjustment disorders (n = 92, 9.0%), and anxiety disorders (n = 81, 8.0%). Logistic regression identified that women with minor or moderate injuries had lower odds of mental health diagnoses. Occupation categories of combat support and communications predicted fewer mental health issues. Enlisted women had increased risk of mental health issues. Linear regression showed that officers had higher QOL compared with enlisted women 0.055 (95% CI, 0.005-0.183), p<.05. Women serving in the Air Force had higher QOL postinjury 0.119 (95% CI, .055-.183), p<.000. An independent samples t-test showed that 12 women with mental health diagnoses postinjury (M = 0.46, SD = 0.12) had significantly lower QOL scores (range 0-1) compared to those without mental health diagnoses (M = 0.52, SD = 0.13), t(3.46), p <.05.