| Sumario: | This study identified subgroups of National Guard (NG) service members (n = 190) and their intimate partners (n = 190) who are more likely to be negatively affected by a deployment that involves combat. Researchers used a latent growth mixture model with mental health and substance use indicators for pre-deployment, deployment, and two post-deployment time points to identify underlying trajectory groups. For both NG service members and their intimate partners, the best fit three-class model identified a high-risk group (n = 58), a medium-risk group (n = 115), and a low-risk group (n = 207). National Guard service members and their intimate partners differed, however, with regard to recovery from psychological strain at post-deployment in the high-risk group. Psychological distress was more often the result of an interaction between combat and risk group status for NG service members and deployment stage and risk group status for their intimate partners. Results not only confirm the relationship between combat exposure and psychological health among NG service members but also show the effect of deployment on their intimate partners.
|
|---|