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The high volume of deployments related to military operations in southwest Asia over the past two decades have generated interest in research on factors that may influence mental health among service members with a history of deployment. Identifying key risk and protective factors for mental health disorders in military populations is an integral step towards developing or improving policies and programs aimed at enhancing resilience to deployment stress. In line with the growing consideration of research on social determinants of health, the objectives of the present study were to i) examine the characteristics of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members' economic and social environment and ii) examine the associations between these characteristics and mental health. Participants included 6,040 CAF members who were deployed at least once in support of a mission and completed the 2013 Canadian Forces Mental Health Survey (CFMHS). A range of economic and social environmental characteristics were examined, including education, income, marital status, household composition, and social support. Accounting for various other demographic and military characteristics, results indicated that living as a single parent was associated with increased odds of reporting any past year anxiety or mood disorder. Additionally, those with a Bachelor's degree or higher appeared to have decreased odds of reporting any past year anxiety or mood disorder. The results underline at risk groups and reinforce the value of considering the personal and social circumstances of military personnel in research on their mental health and well-being., Author(s): Christine Frank [sup.1] , Jennifer E. C. Lee [sup.1] , Mark A. Zamorski [sup.2] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.1463.0, 0000 0001 0692 6582, Director General Military Personnel Research and Analysis, [...]

Introduction A great deal of time and resources have been spent on developing and implementing evidence-based return to work programs over the past few decades, compelling researchers to better understand the factors associated with more favorable outcomes. Using data collected as part of a participant tracking system trial for the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Return to Duty (RTD) program, analyses were conducted to better understand the trajectories of program participants and identify the factors associated with RTD. Materials and Methods Participants included 205 Regular Force CAF members from a single military base located in Eastern Canada who entered the RTD program during the trial period between April 2018 and March 2020. The health condition they were facing was mostly recent (i.e. onset within the past 6 months; 43%) and involved their mental health (67%). Data were collected on various demographic, military, health, and program characteristics using the RTD Data Collection Tool, which was updated periodically by program coordinators. Using data gathered by the Tool, a cumulative incidence function was generated to estimate the overall marginal probability of RTD over the duration of the program. Associations between RTD and a range of factors that were captured using the Tool were also examined in a series of competing-risks regressions. Results Findings indicated that the rate of RTD among program participants increased at around 3 months and began to level off around 9 months, suggesting that the likelihood of RTD after this window is diminished. Of the many factors that were considered, only years of service and work placement status at 3 months were found to be associated with RTD. Specifically, lower rates of RTD were observed among participants with 15 or more years of service compared to those with less than 5 years of service in the CAF and among those who were not yet assigned a work placement at 3 months relative to those who were. Conclusion This study represents a first step in addressing the gap in our current knowledge about the characteristics of CAF members participating in the RTD program and the factors associated with RTD. Several recommendations are made for improving the participant tracking system in view of enhancing the level and quality of information that is available to assess participants' trajectories and inform further development of the program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has been linked to increased depression, anxiety and other adverse mental health outcomes. Understanding the behaviours that positively influence health is important for the development of strategies to maintain and improve well-being during the pandemic. Methods: This study focussed on Canadian Armed Forces Regular Force members (N = 13 668) who participated in the COVID-19 Defence Team Survey, administered between April and May 2020. The use of positive health behaviours and the extent to which such behaviours were associated with anxiety, depression and self-reported change in health and stress levels compared to before the pandemic were examined. Results: Depression and anxiety were experienced by 14% and 15% of the sample, respectively, while 36% reported that their mental health had gotten worse since the pandemic started, and close to half reported worse physical health and stress levels. The most common behaviours respondents reported engaging in to maintain or improve their health were exercising outdoors, healthy eating and connecting with loved ones. Although most behaviours were associated with better health outcomes, meditation and connecting with loved ones showed associations with worse health. Conclusion: Engaging in behaviours such as exercise and healthy eating was generally associated with better health outcomes. Unexpected relationships of meditation and connecting with loved ones are discussed in terms of their use in stressful times among those with mental health issues, past research on coping strategies and impacts of the pandemic and physical distancing on social connections. The findings may have implications for strategies to promote healthy behaviours during the remainder of the pandemic and similar crises in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Due to the unprecedented impact of COVID-19, there is a need for research assessing pandemic-related challenges and stressors. The current study aimed to assess key concerns and general well-being among members of Canada's Defence Team, including Canadian Armed Forces personnel and members of the Department of National Defence (DND) Public Service. Methods: The COVID-19 Defence Team Survey was administered electronically to Defence Team staff in April and May of 2020 and was completed by 13 688 Regular Force, 5985 Reserve Force and 7487 civilian DND Public Service personnel. Along with demographic information, the survey included assessments of work arrangement, pandemic-related concerns, general well-being and social and organizational support. Weighted data (to ensure representation) were used in all analyses. Results: The majority of respondents were working from home, with a small minority unable to work due to restrictions. Though many concerns were endorsed by a substantial proportion of respondents, the most prevalent concerns were related to the health and well-being of loved ones. The majority of respondents reported their partner, family, supervisors, friends, colleagues and children provided general support. Half of the civilian defence staff and one-third of military respondents reported a decline in mental health. Women, younger respondents, those with dependents and, in some cases, those who were single without children were at risk of lower well-being. Conclusion: The pandemic has negatively impacted a substantial portion of the Defence Team. When responding to future crises, it is recommended that leaders of organizations provide additional supports to higher-risk groups and to supervisors who are ideally positioned to support employees during challenging times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Coping has been the subject of numerous studies over the past decades, yet significant debate remains regarding the structure of this construct. Data and methods: Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted on 2013 Canadian Forces Mental Health Survey (CFMHS) data to examine the factor structure of coping items. A total of 6,696 Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Regular Force members completed a coping inventory that assessed 14 coping strategies (e.g., problem solving, talking to others). Results: Results indicated that coping among CAF Regular Force members was best represented by two factors: positive coping and negative coping. Coping strategies categorized as positive coping included active efforts to confront the stressor or improve one's well-being, whereas those categorized as negative coping reflected passive or avoidant efforts or behaviours that may compromise one's health. Positive coping factor scores were positively associated with perceptions of one's ability to handle difficult problems and day-to-day demands, while negative coping factor scores were negatively associated with such perceptions, suggesting that the factors had good concurrent validity. Additional analyses pointed to higher positive and negative coping scores among female Regular Force members compared with male Regular Force members. The additional analyses also showed generally less favourable coping scores among lower-ranking Regular Force members and those with a history of deployment to Afghanistan relative to their respective counterparts. Lastly, Regular Force members who received mental health training demonstrated higher positive coping scores. Interpretation: The report discusses implications for the use of coping indicators in future analyses involving the CFMHS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]