Affiliation:
1. Walter Reed Army Institute of Research , Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
2. U.S. Army Public Health Center , Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21010, USA
3. Uniformed Services University , Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Introduction
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic disrupted U.S. Military operations and potentially compounded the risk for adverse mental health outcomes by layering unique occupational stress on top of general restrictions, fears, and concerns. The objective of the current study was to characterize the prevalence of COVID-19 concerns and information needs, demographic disparities in these outcomes, and the degree to which COVID-19 concerns and information needs were associated with heightened risk for adverse mental health outcomes among U.S. Army soldiers.
Materials and Methods
Command-directed anonymous surveys were administered electronically to U.S. soldiers assigned to one of three regional commands in the Northwest United States, Europe, and Asia-Pacific Region. Surveys were administered in May to June 2020 to complete (time 1: n = 21,294) and again in December 2020 to January 2021 (time 2: n = 10,861). Only active duty or active reservists/national guard were eligible to participate. Members from other branches of service were also not eligible.
Results
Highly prevalent COVID-19 concerns included the inability to spend time with friends/family, social activities, and changing rules, regulations, and guidance related to COVID-19. Some information needs were endorsed by one quarter or more soldiers at both time points, including stress management/coping, travel, how to protect oneself, and maintaining mission readiness. COVID-19 concerns and information needs were most prevalent among non-White soldiers. Concerns and information needs did not decline overall between the assessments. Finally, COVID-19 concerns were associated with greater risk of multiple adverse mental health outcomes at both time points.
Conclusions
COVID-19 concerns and information needs were prevalent and showed little evidence of decrement over the course of the first 6 months of the pandemic. COVID-19 concerns were consistently associated with adverse mental health outcomes. These data highlight two targets and potential demographic subgroups such that local leadership and Army medicine and public health enterprises can be better prepared to monitor and address to maintain force health and readiness in the face of possible future biomedical threats.
Funder
U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command
Army Public Health Center
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Subject
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health,General Medicine
Reference32 articles.
1. COVID-19 dashboard;Johns Hopkins University,2022
2. Hospital utilization;Department of Health and Human Services,2022
3. The employment situation;U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,2020
4. Symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder and use of mental health care among adults during the COVID-19 pandemic—United States, August 2020–February 2021;Vahratian;MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep,2021
5. Mental health, substance use, and suicidal ideation during the COVID-19 pandemic—United States, June 24–30, 2020;Czeisler;MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep,2020