Validation of the deployment risk and resilience inventory in French-Canadian veterans: findings on the relation between deployment experiences and postdeployment health

Abstract

Objectives: This study had a twofold purpose: to validate the French-Canadian version of a measure of deployment risk and resilience factors and to examine the relation between deployment risk and resilience factors and postdeployment functioning. Method: Canadian veterans at an outpatient clinic (n = 131) completed a mail-in survey that included a measure on deployment risk and resilience factors, the Deployment Risk and Resilience Inventory (DRRI) (1), as well as measures on psychological and physical health. Results: Internal consistency and test-retest reliability coefficients for the DRRI scales were very good. As expected, DRRI risk factors were negatively associated with psychological and physical functioning, and DRRI resilience factors were positively associated with psychological and physical functioning. Low- as well as high-magnitude deployment risk factors were associated with functioning. Conclusions: The French-Canadian version of the DRRI is a reliable and valid measure of deployment risk and resilience factors. Deployment risk and resilience factors are associated with a host of problems in physical and psychological functioning for veterans.