Matthieu Monica M, Lawrence Karen A, Robertson-Blackmore Emma
Saint Louis University, College for Public Health and Social Justice, School of Social Work, Saint Louis, MO, USA.
University of Kentucky, School of Social Work, Lexington, KY, USA.
Psychiatry Res. 2017 Feb;248:111-116. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2016.12.028. Epub 2016 Dec 23.
Volunteering as a health promotion intervention, improves physical health, mental health, and social outcomes particularly in older adults, yet limited research exists for veterans. We conducted a preliminary study to explore whether volunteering impacts a variety of biopsychosocial outcomes, including symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, among returning military veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. A survey enrolling a prospective cohort of United States (U.S.) veterans who served in the military after 11 September 2001 and who participated in a national civic service program was conducted. A total of 346 veterans completed standardized health, mental health, and psychosocial self-report measures before and after the program. Statistically significant differences were detected in overall health rating, level of emotional difficulty, PTSD and depression symptoms, purpose in life, self-efficacy, social isolation, and the perceived availability of social support at program completion. Screening positive for probable PTSD predicted improved perceived self-efficacy while probable depression predicted a decrease in loneliness, an increase in purpose in life, and an increase in perceived social support, at program completion. Volunteering was associated with significant improvements in health, mental health and social outcomes in returning veterans.
作为一种健康促进干预措施，志愿服务能改善身体健康、心理健康以及社会状况，尤其是在老年人中，但针对退伍军人的相关研究有限。我们开展了一项初步研究，以探讨志愿服务是否会影响从伊拉克和阿富汗回国的退伍军人的各种生物心理社会状况，包括创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）和抑郁症的症状。我们对一组2001年9月11日之后服役且参加了一项全国公民服务项目的美国退伍军人进行了前瞻性队列调查。共有346名退伍军人在项目前后完成了标准化的健康、心理健康和社会心理自我报告测量。在项目结束时，在总体健康评分、情绪困扰程度、PTSD和抑郁症症状、生活目的、自我效能感、社会隔离以及感知到的社会支持可获得性方面检测到了具有统计学意义的差异。在项目结束时，PTSD筛查呈阳性预示着自我效能感的改善，而抑郁症筛查呈阳性则预示着孤独感的降低、生活目的的增加以及感知到的社会支持的增加。志愿服务与回国退伍军人的健康、心理健康和社会状况的显著改善相关。
