Naval Medical Readiness and Training Command Guam, Agana Heights, Guam 96910.
Naval Special Warfare Command, San Diego, CA 92155, USA.
Mil Med. 2024 Aug 19;189(Suppl 3):832-841. doi: 10.1093/milmed/usae303.
As female active duty populations increase in all military environments, it is critical that women's health be addressed in a comprehensive manner. The study's results will be utilized to assist Navy health care leaders in addressing female force readiness policies, treatment gaps, and training specific to women's mental health.
In total, 212 active duty participants were recruited from the Navy's mental health specialties. The survey was hosted on the U.S. Government's MAX.gov survey website and received Institutional Review Board and Survey Review Board approval per Navy and Defense Health Agency requirements. Participants recorded their experiences with various patient presentations using Likert scale assessments, indicated their comfort in prescribing medication to patients with 11 distinct presenting concerns, and responded to six questions regarding their training and clinical experience in the field of women's mental health.
Differences were noted for provider gender, treatment setting, patient sex, provider rank, and years of independent practice. Female providers were more likely than males to report that their female patients presented with 15 of the 21 measured issues. Providers located at MTFs were significantly more likely than providers in operational billets to report female patients presenting with certain conditions and reported being more comfortable prescribing medication. Eighty percent of respondents authorized to prescribe medicine rated themselves as very or extremely comfortable prescribing medications to their patients for all specified conditions except two: women who are breastfeeding and women who are pregnant. Senior officers reported the most comfort prescribing medication to women who are planning to become pregnant and women who have experienced perinatal loss. Only a minority of providers (20%, female; 33%, males) reported receiving women's mental health education during their training. Of those who did receive training, it was limited to post-partum and pregnancy. Most participants (93%) agreed that women's mental health should be incorporated into training programs for military providers.
This exploratory study highlights that provider variables impact assessment and treatment of and for patients. The study highlights the interplay of gender, treatment setting, experiences, and level of comfort are associated with provider assessment of presenting concerns. The authors hope this study will help in prioritizing women's mental health practices, mental health training, and research, and in informing policy and decision-making.
随着所有军事环境中女性现役人数的增加，全面解决女性健康问题至关重要。研究结果将用于协助海军医疗保健领导人解决女性部队准备政策、治疗差距以及针对女性心理健康的特定培训问题。
共有 212 名现役人员从海军心理健康专业人员中招募。该调查在美国政府的 MAX.gov 调查网站上进行，根据海军和国防卫生局的要求，获得了机构审查委员会和调查审查委员会的批准。参与者使用李克特量表评估记录了他们在各种患者就诊时的经历，表明他们对 11 种不同就诊问题的患者开具药物的舒适度，并回答了关于他们在女性心理健康领域的培训和临床经验的六个问题。
注意到提供者性别、治疗环境、患者性别、提供者职级和独立执业年限的差异。与男性相比，女性提供者更有可能报告说，他们的女性患者出现了 21 项测量问题中的 15 项。在 MTF 工作的提供者比在作战岗位上的提供者更有可能报告说，女性患者出现了某些疾病，并报告说他们更愿意开处方。80%的有处方权的受访者表示，他们在所有指定情况下，除了两种情况（正在哺乳的妇女和怀孕的妇女）外，为患者开处方都非常或非常舒适。高级军官报告说，为计划怀孕的妇女和经历围产期损失的妇女开处方最舒服。只有少数（20%的女性，33%的男性）的提供者报告在培训中接受过女性心理健康教育。在接受培训的人中，培训仅限于产后和妊娠。大多数参与者（93%）同意，女性心理健康应该纳入军事提供者的培训计划。
这项探索性研究强调，提供者变量会影响对患者的评估和治疗。该研究强调了性别、治疗环境、经验和舒适度水平与提供者对就诊问题的评估之间的相互作用。作者希望本研究将有助于确定女性心理健康实践、心理健康培训和研究的优先事项，并为政策和决策提供信息。
