Hypothesis
The IMPACTS study aims to understand the effect of battlefield injury on mental health, as well as how mental and physical health interact in the ADVANCE cohort.
Summary
Background: The combat experiences of Armed Forces Personnel (AFP) who deployed to Afghanistan sometimes resulted in injury, whether physical (e.g. amputation) or psychological (e.g. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Both physical and psychological injuries can result in an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Many AFPs develop Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG); benefits in psychological domains as a result of trauma. The prevalence of PTG has not been widely studied in this population. The ADVANCE study will collect physical and mental health data from 600 male AFP who sustained a battlefield injury in Afghanistan and 600 uninjured AFP, with frequency matched to the injured sample based on deployment, age, rank and role in theatre.
Aim: Nested within the ADVANCE study, IMPACTS aims to investigate: 1) the prevalence of depression, anxiety, PTSD and PTG; 2) the sociodemographic, health, and military-related factors associated with adverse mental health and PTG; 3) the factor structure of the Deployment-related Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory (DPTGI); and 4) the association between adverse mental health and PTG with Cardiovascular Risk Factors (CRF).
Keywords
Mental health, Cardiovascular, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Post Traumatic Growth