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Long time between deployments not so good, DoD study says

Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center study says that longer stretches at home make it harder for servicemen to transition back to war zone.

Federal News Network Staff

November 17, 2011 9:02 am

< a min read

Long stretches between deployments might not be good for service members’ mental health, a Defense Department study reported.

But, the study by the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center only reflects data for service members who sought help. DoD reports the results are based on data from the Defense Medical Surveillance System over an eight-year period. They looked at more than 1 million men, and more than 150,000 women who were deployed at least once for operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom or New Dawn.

One of the reasons for the findings include more time between deployment gives the service member more time to readjust to being at home, making the transition back to the war zone harder.

On the other hand, service members with shorter times at home tend to keep their guard up, so they might be covering up symptoms of mental health problems.

Experts say either way, the study shows the importance of seeking mental health care without fear of repercussions.

This story is part of Federal News Radio’s daily DoD Report. For more defense news, click here.