Factors associated with psychiatric evacuation among service members deployed to operation enduring freedom and operation Iraqi freedom, January 2004 to September 2010

Abstract

Objectives: To calculate the annual rate of psychiatric evacuation of U.S. Service members out of Iraq and Afghanistan and identify risk factors for evacuation. Methods: Descriptive and regression analyses were performed using deployment records for Service members evacuated from January 2004 through September 2010 with a psychiatric diagnosis, and a 20% random sample of all other deployers (N = 364,047). Results: A total of 5,887 deployers psychiatrically evacuated, 3,951 (67%) of which evacuated on first deployment. The rate increased from 72.9 per 100,000 in 2004 to 196.9 per 100,000 in 2010. Evacuees were overrepresented in both combat and supporting duty assignments. In multivariate analysis, Army active duty had the highest odds of evacuation relative to Army National Guard (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.852, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.790–0.919), Army Reserve (AOR 0.825, 95% CI 0.740–0.919), and all other components. Accessions in 2005 had the highest risk (AOR 1.923, 95% CI 1.621–2.006) relative to pre-2001 accessions. Conclusions: Risk for psychiatric evacuation is highest among the Army Active Component. A strong link between multiple deployments or combat-related exposure and psychiatric evacuation is not apparent. Increased risk among post-2001 accessions suggests further review of changes in recruitment, training, and deployment policies and practices.