Citation

Bäccman C, Hjärthag F, Almqvist K. Scand. J. Psychol. 2016; 57(4): 350-358.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Scandinavian Psychological Associations, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/sjop.12299

PMID

27253612

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore: (1) how the psychological health of the members of the first European Union Naval Force (ME01) was affected by international deployment off the coast of Somalia; and (2) if and how organizational and personal factors (e.g., type of personnel category, previous experiences, and resilience) affected their psychological health and well-being post-deployment. The study had an exploratory longitudinal design, where the participants were assessed both before and after deployment (i.e., T1 and T2). The participants (n = 129, 120 men, 9 women) were equally distributed between officers (n = 68; 64 men, 4 women) and sailors (n = 61; 56 men, 5 women). The members' average age was 31 years, ranging from 20 to 61. For the majority (78%) ME01 was their first international deployment and officers were, in general, more experienced than sailors. The overall results showed that the members' reported a positive experience with improved resilience and well-being (e.g., sense of coherence). However, the result also showed that type of personnel category (i.e., officer or sailor) affected their psychological health. Why and how these differences among military personnel arise is discussed, but deserves further attention.

© 2016 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Language: en