Survey: Some Air Force Women Experiencing PTSD Symptoms and Work-Family Conflicts

According to a recent University of Michigan press release, a university survey found that about 20 percent of Air Force women deployed during the Iraq war said they're experiencing at least one major symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The survey included 1,114 servicewomen.

The findings were reported on Sunday, during the 115th Annual APA Convention being held in San Francisco, Calif., Aug. 17 - Aug. 20, 2007.

The survey was funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Defense through the TriService Nursing Research Program and was conducted by the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research (ISR). The survey is part of an ongoing study headed by Penny Pierce, a colonel in the Air Force Reserve Program, and ISR research professor Amiram Vinokur. Pierce is also an associate professor in the university's School of Nursing and a faculty associate at the ISR.

In addition to survey questions related to PTSD, the survey also addressed the prevalence of family-work conflicts among the military women and analyzed the impact of these conflicts on mental health and job functioning.

Pierce said they were "surprised to find that work-family conflict is an independent and significant predictor of PTSD, above and beyond combat exposure." She went on to explain that the finding "is important because there are things we can do to help minimize work-family stress and the toll it is taking on women in the military."

Pierce said that there has been much "heated debate" about the role of women in combat since the Gulf War. "This study is the latest attempt to assess the impact of deployment-related stressors, including family separation, on military women, who now comprise 13 percent of our nation's armed forces," she said.

According to the survey results, almost half of the women surveyed said their home life rarely or never interfered with their work or made it difficult for them to accomplish daily tasks and spend the time they would like to on career-related activities. However, in those women who did experience high levels of family-work conflict, the researchers found that they were more likely to have symptoms of depression and anxiety and were also less likely to feel they could cope with daily demands and responsibilities.

Interestingly, the survey also found that about 51 percent of the women said it was "very likely" or "extremely likely" that they would continue to serve in the Air Force. And about 18 percent even said it was "likely" they would re-enlist.

With regard to the findings about family-work conflicts, Pierce said: "We cannot hope to take away the stress of combat, but the additional stress caused by family-work conflicts can be modified. Steps can be taken to reduce the anxiety and depression of servicewomen who are worried about what is happening on the home front. In the near future, we hope to identify some areas where we can intervene to help reduce this source of stress."

During the 1991 Persian Gulf War, Pierce and Vinokur found in a similar University of Michigan study of servicewomen that the family-work conflict they experienced was greater than that found in a representative sample of non-veteran women.

Pierce noted that "despite the stress of serving in a long conflict where multiple deployments are a very real possibility, the high proportion intending to stay in the military suggests the level of commitment in today's all-volunteer service."

According to the press release, the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research (ISR), which was established in 1948, is among the world's oldest academic survey research organizations, as well as a world leader in the development and application of social science methodology. It also is known to conduct some of the most widely cited studies in the nation.

Source:

Press release, How Air Force Women Are Handling the Stress; http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/532469/