Missed opportunity to screen and diagnose PTSD and depression among deploying shipboard US military personnel

Judith Harbertson; Braden R Hale; Nelson L Michael; Paul T Scott

doi:10.1192/bjpo.bp.116.003038

Missed opportunity to screen and diagnose PTSD and depression among deploying shipboard US military personnel

BJPsych Open. 2016 Oct 5;2(5):314-317. doi: 10.1192/bjpo.bp.116.003038. eCollection 2016 Sep.

Authors

Judith Harbertson¹, Braden R Hale², Nelson L Michael³, Paul T Scott⁴

Affiliations

¹ , PhD, US Military HIV Research Program, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA; Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, USA; Department of Defense HIV/AIDS Prevention Program (DHAPP), Naval Health Research Center, San Diego, CA, USA.
² , MD, MPH, Department of Defense HIV/AIDS Prevention Program (DHAPP), Naval Health Research Center, San Diego, CA, USA; University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
³ , MD, PhD, US Military HIV Research Program, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA.
⁴ , MD, MPH, US Military HIV Research Program, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA.

Abstract

Background: Depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are significant risks for suicide and other adverse events among US military personnel, but prevalence data among ship-assigned personnel at the onset of deployment are unknown.

Aims: To determine the prevalence of shipboard personnel who screen positive for PTSD and/or major depressive disorder (MDD) at the onset of deployment, and also those who reported these diagnoses made by a physician or healthcare professional in the year prior to deployment.

Method: Active-duty ship-assigned personnel (N = 2078) completed anonymous assessments at the beginning of deployment. Depression was measured using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D; score of ≥22), and PTSD was assessed using the PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C; both score and symptom criteria were used).

Results: In total, 7.3% (n = 151 of 2076) screened positive for PTSD and 22% (n = 461 of 2078) for MDD at deployment onset. Only 6% and 15% of those who screened positive for PTSD or MDD, respectively, had been diagnosed by a healthcare professional in the past year.

Conclusions: Missed opportunities for mental healthcare among screen-positive shipboard personnel reduce the benefits associated with early identification and linkage to care. Improved methods of mental health screening that promote early recognition and referral to care may mitigate psychiatric events in theatre.

Declaration of interest: This work was performed as part of the official duties of the authors as military service members or employees of the US Government.

Copyright and usage: This work was prepared by military service members or employees of the US Government as part of their official duties. As such, copyright protection is not available for this work (Title 17, USC, §105).