Is prevention better than cure? A systematic review of the effectiveness of well-being interventions for military personnel adjusting to civilian life

Bauer, Andreas; Newbury-Birch, Dorothy; Robalino, Shannon; Ferguson, Jennifer; Wigham, Sarah

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0190144

Cited by 21Psychological Well-being and Life SatisfactionEducation and Military IntegrationPosttraumatic Stress Disorder Research

Is prevention better than cure? A systematic review of the effectiveness of well-being interventions for military personnel adjusting to civilian life

Open access

Bauer, Andreas, Newbury-Birch, Dorothy, Robalino, Shannon, Ferguson, Jennifer, Wigham, Sarah·2018·PLOS ONE

DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0190144PMC PMC5931793

Open this paper in CoChat — free account

Abstract

Exposure to stressful and potentially traumatic experiences is a risk for military personnel and for some this may increase susceptibility to reduced well-being. The aim of this systematic review was to examine the effectiveness of interventions to promote the well-being of military personnel adjusting to civilian life. Electronic databases were searched including MEDLINE, Embase, HMIC, PsycINFO, Pilots and CINAHL. Twelve articles, all conducted in the USA, were included in the review. Articles were synthesised narratively and assessed for bias against established criteria. The studies evaluated the effectiveness of interventions for current and former military personnel. The interventions included expressive writing, anger management, cognitive training, psycho-education, and techniques to promote relaxation, connection in relationships and resilience. Interventions had some significant positive effects mostly for veterans adjusting to civilian life and other family members. There was much heterogeneity in the design and the outcome measures used in the studies reviewed. The review highlights the need for future robust trials examining the effectiveness of well-being interventions in military groups with diverse characteristics; in addition qualitative research to explore a conceptualisation of well-being for this group and the acceptability of interventions which may be perceived as treatment. The results of the review will be of interest to a number of stakeholders in military, public health and mental health settings. PROSPERO Registration number: CRD42015026341.

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1371/journal.pone.0190144

Cites

104 of 104 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Claims the paper makes

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

A systematic review of well-being interventions for adjustment to civilian life highlighted several U.S programs that focus on expressive writing, psychological therapies, resilience building, and fostering connections in relationships.
“Additionally, a systematic review of well-being interventions for adjustment to civilian life highlighted several U.S programs that focus on expressive writing, psychological therapies, resilience building, and fostering connections in relationships [38].”
From Feasibility, acceptability, and initial outcomes of a psychological adjustment and reintegration program for transitioned military veterans (2024) · cites this paper as [38]

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

The self-check needs the paper’s full text.

Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: the PRISMA statement
Moher, D., Liberati, A., Tetzlaff, J., Altman, D. G., & for the PRISMA Group (2009) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.b2535 · Cited by 83,823 · see citing works
Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: The PRISMA Statement
Moher, D., Liberati, A., Tetzlaff, J., Altman, D. G., & The PRISMA Group (2009) · PLoS Medicine · doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1000097 · Cited by 64,042 · see citing works
The CES-D Scale: A Self-Report Depression Scale for Research in the General Population
Radloff, L. S. (1977) · Applied Psychological Measurement · doi:10.1177/014662167700100306 · Cited by 53,267 · see citing works
The PHQ-9: Validity of a brief depression severity measure
Kroenke, K., Spitzer, R. L., & Williams, J. B. W. (2001) · Journal of General Internal Medicine · doi:10.1046/j.1525-1497.2001.016009606.x · Cited by 44,910 · see citing works
Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: the PRISMA Statement.
(2009) · PubMed Central · Cited by 44,859 · see citing works
The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index: a new instrument for psychiatric practice and research
Buysse, D. J., Reynolds, C. F., Monk, T. H., Berman, S. R., & Kupfer, D. J. (1989) · Psychiatry Research · doi:10.1016/0165-1781(89)90047-4 · Cited by 35,234 · see citing works
A Global Measure of Perceived Stress
Cohen, S., Kamarck, T., & Mermelstein, R. (1983) · Journal of Health and Social Behavior · doi:10.2307/2136404 · Cited by 32,807 · see citing works
The satisfaction with life scale
Diener, E., Emmons, R. A., Larsen, R. J., & Griffin, S. (1985) · Journal of Personality Assessment · doi:10.1207/s15327752jpa4901_13 · Cited by 31,768 · see citing works
A Brief Measure for Assessing Generalized Anxiety Disorder: The GAD-7
Spitzer, R. L., Kroenke, K., Williams, J. B. W., & Löwe, B. (2006) · Archives of Internal Medicine · doi:10.1001/archinte.166.10.1092 · Cited by 31,765 · see citing works
The PRISMA Statement for Reporting Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses of Studies That Evaluate Health Care Interventions: Explanation and Elaboration
Liberati, A., Altman, D. G., Tetzlaff, J., Mulrow, C., Gøtzsche, P. C., Ioannidis, J. P. A., Clarke, M., Devereaux, P. J., Kleijnen, J., & Moher, D. (2009) · PLoS Medicine · doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1000100 · Cited by 28,164 · see citing works
The Effect of Riding as an Alternative Treatment for Children with Cerebral Palsy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Wang, G., Ma, R., Qiao, G., Wada, K., Aizawa, Y., & Satoh, T. (2015) · Integrative Medicine International · doi:10.1159/000368408 · Cited by 18,759 · see citing works
A 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey: Construction of Scales and Preliminary Tests of Reliability and Validity
WARE, J. E., KOSINSKI, M., & KELLER, S. D. (1996) · Medical Care · doi:10.1097/00005650-199603000-00003 · Cited by 17,392 · cited 2× · see citing works
“Van Voorhees Gollan, & Fogel (2012)[40] • Centre for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale10[85] • PTSD Checklist-M[86] • SF-12[87] • Significant decline in depression and PTSD symptoms by 3 months.”
Background
Development of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT): WHO Collaborative Project on Early Detection of Persons with Harmful Alcohol Consumption‐II
SAUNDERS, J. B., AASLAND, O. G., BABOR, T. F., DE LA FUENTE, J. R., & GRANT, M. (1993) · Addiction · doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.1993.tb02093.x · Cited by 13,482 · see citing works
Practical Statistics for Medical Research.
Walter, S., & Altman, D. G. (1992) · Biometrics · doi:10.2307/2532320 · Cited by 11,665 · see citing works
On Happiness and Human Potentials: A Review of Research on Hedonic and Eudaimonic Well-Being
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2001) · Annual Review of Psychology · doi:10.1146/annurev.psych.52.1.141 · Cited by 11,567 · see citing works
Validation and Utility of a Self-report Version of PRIME-MD<SUBTITLE>The PHQ Primary Care Study</SUBTITLE>
Spitzer, R. L. (1999) · JAMA · doi:10.1001/jama.282.18.1737 · Cited by 9,802 · see citing works
Beck Depression Inventory–II
Beck, A. T., Steer, R. A., & Brown, G. (2011) · PsycTESTS Dataset · doi:10.1037/t00742-000 · Cited by 7,535 · see citing works
Measuring Dyadic Adjustment: New Scales for Assessing the Quality of Marriage and Similar Dyads
Spanier, G. B. (1976) · Journal of Marriage and the Family · doi:10.2307/350547 · Cited by 7,095 · see citing works
The Revised Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS2): Development and Preliminary Psychometric Data
STRAUS, M. A., HAMBY, S. L., BONEY-McCOY, S., & SUGARMAN, D. B. (1996) · Journal of Family Issues · doi:10.1177/019251396017003001 · Cited by 6,923 · see citing works
Loss, trauma, and human resilience: have we underestimated the human capacity to thrive after extremely aversive events?
Bonanno, G. A. (2004) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037/0003-066x.59.1.20 · Cited by 6,851 · see citing works
The MOS 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36): II. Psychometric and Clinical Tests of Validity in Measuring Physical and Mental Health Constructs
MCHORNEY, C. A., JOHNE, W., & ANASTASIAE, R. (1993) · Medical Care · doi:10.1097/00005650-199303000-00006 · Cited by 6,681 · see citing works
The brief resilience scale: Assessing the ability to bounce back
Smith, B. W., Dalen, J., Wiggins, K., Tooley, E., Christopher, P., & Bernard, J. (2008) · International Journal of Behavioral Medicine · doi:10.1080/10705500802222972 · Cited by 6,439 · see citing works
The Development and Validation of a Scale to Measure Self-Compassion
NEFF, K. D. (2003) · Self and Identity · doi:10.1080/15298860309027 · Cited by 6,436 · cited 2× · see citing works
“(2016)[39] (USA) • Perceived Stress Scale[75] • BDI II[74] • PTSD Checklist-C[69] • Self-Compassion Scale[77] • Response to Stressful Experiences Scale[79] • Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support [80] • Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index[81] • Dyadic Adjustment Scale[82] Significant improvements (at 4-months…”
Background
The mental health continuum: from languishing to flourishing in life.
Keyes, C. L. M. (2002) · Journal of Health and Social Behavior · doi:10.2307/3090197 · Cited by 5,133 · see citing works
Psychometric properties of the 42-item and 21-item versions of the depression anxiety stress scales in clinical groups and a community sample.
Antony, M. M., Bieling, P. J., Cox, B. J., Enns, M. W., & Swinson, R. P. (1998) · Psychological Assessment · doi:10.1037/1040-3590.10.2.176 · Cited by 4,874 · see citing works
Psychometric Characteristics of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support
Zimet, G. D., Powell, S. S., Farley, G. K., Werkman, S., & Berkoff, K. A. (1990) · Journal of Personality Assessment · doi:10.1080/00223891.1990.9674095 · Cited by 4,855 · see citing works
Combat Duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, Mental Health Problems, and Barriers to Care
Hoge, C. W., Castro, C. A., Messer, S. C., McGurk, D., Cotting, D. I., & Koffman, R. L. (2004) · New England Journal of Medicine · doi:10.1056/nejmoa040603 · Cited by 4,778 · see citing works
The Aggression Questionnaire.
Buss, A. H., & Perry, M. (1992) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-3514.63.3.452 · Cited by 4,693 · see citing works
Development and psychometric evaluation of the Resilience Scale.
Wagnild, G. M., & Young, H. M. (1993) · PubMed · Cited by 3,747 · see citing works
Men, masculinity, and the contexts of help seeking
Addis, M. E., & Mahalik, J. R. (2003) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037/0003-066x.58.1.5 · Cited by 2,761 · see citing works
A Generic Measure of Relationship Satisfaction
Hendrick, S. S. (1988) · Journal of Marriage and the Family · doi:10.2307/352430 · Cited by 2,270 · see citing works
Promoting and protecting mental health as flourishing: A complementary strategy for improving national mental health.
Keyes, C. L. M. (2007) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037/0003-066x.62.2.95 · Cited by 2,268 · see citing works
A Process for Systematically Reviewing the Literature: Providing the Research Evidence for Public Health Nursing Interventions
Thomas, B. H., Ciliska, D., Dobbins, M., & Micucci, S. (2004) · Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing · doi:10.1111/j.1524-475x.2004.04006.x · Cited by 2,118 · see citing works
The Psychology of Physical Symptoms
Pennebaker, J. W. (1982) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-1-4613-8196-9 · Cited by 1,776 · see citing works
Credibility of analogue therapy rationales
Borkovec, T. D., & Nau, S. D. (1972) · Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/0005-7916(72)90045-6 · Cited by 1,553 · see citing works
Assessment of study quality for systematic reviews: a comparison of the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias Tool and the Effective Public Health Practice Project Quality Assessment Tool: methodological research
Armijo‐Olivo, S., Stiles, C. R., Hagen, N. A., Biondo, P. D., & Cummings, G. G. (2012) · Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2753.2010.01516.x · Cited by 1,539 · see citing works
Measuring well‐being rather than the absence of distress symptoms: a comparison of the SF‐36 Mental Health subscale and the WHO‐Five well‐being scale
Bech, P., Olsen, L. R., Kjoller, M., & Rasmussen, N. K. (2003) · International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research · doi:10.1002/mpr.145 · Cited by 1,015 · see citing works
A revision of the dyadic adjustment scale for use with distressed and nondistressed couples: construct hierarchy and multidimensional scales
Busby, D. M., Christensen, C., Crane, D. R., & Larson, J. H. (1995) · Journal of Marital and Family Therapy · doi:10.1111/j.1752-0606.1995.tb00163.x · Cited by 985 · see citing works
Prevalence of Mental Health Problems and Functional Impairment Among Active Component and National Guard Soldiers 3 and 12 Months Following Combat in Iraq
Thomas, J. L., Wilk, J. E., Riviere, L. A., McGurk, D., Castro, C. A., & Hoge, C. W. (2010) · Archives of General Psychiatry · doi:10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2010.54 · Cited by 935 · see citing works
Compassionate love for close others and humanity
Sprecher, S., & Fehr, B. (2005) · Journal of Social and Personal Relationships · doi:10.1177/0265407505056439 · Cited by 770 · see citing works
Untitled work
(2016) · City Research Online (City University London) · Cited by 747 · see citing works
PTSD Checklist—Civilian version (PCL-C)
Weathers, F. W., Litz, B. T., Huska, J. A., & Keane, T. M. (1991) · Cited by 734 · see citing works
Validating the Primary Care Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Screen and the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist with soldiers returning from combat.
Bliese, P. D., Wright, K. M., Adler, A. B., Cabrera, Ó., Castro, C. A., & Hoge, C. W. (2008) · Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-006x.76.2.272 · Cited by 733 · see citing works
The absence of positive psychological (eudemonic) well-being as a risk factor for depression: A ten year cohort study
Wood, A. M., & Joseph, S. (2010) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2009.06.032 · Cited by 624 · see citing works
STAXI-2 : State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-2 : professional manual
Spielberger, C. D. (1999) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 590 · see citing works
General and relationship-based perceptions of social support: Are two constructs better than one?
Pierce, G. R., Sarason, I. G., & Sarason, B. R. (1991) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037//0022-3514.61.6.1028 · Cited by 523 · see citing works
Master resilience training in the U.S. Army.
Reivich, K. J., Seligman, M. E. P., & McBride, S. (2011) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037/a0021897 · Cited by 516 · see citing works
General and relationship-based perceptions of social support: Are two constructs better than one?
Pierce, G. R., Sarason, I. G., & Sarason, B. R. (1991) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-3514.61.6.1028 · Cited by 481 · see citing works
Battlemind debriefing and battlemind training as early interventions with soldiers returning from Iraq: randomization by platoon
Adler, A. B., Bliese, P. D., McGurk, D., Hoge, C. W., & Castro, C. A. (2009) · Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1037/a0016877 · Cited by 372 · see citing works
Integrating the hedonic and eudaimonic perspectives to more comprehensively understand wellbeing and pathways to wellbeing
Henderson, L. W., & Knight, T. (2012) · International Journal of Wellbeing · doi:10.5502/ijw.v2i3.3 · Cited by 356 · see citing works
Promoting Psychological Resilience in the U.S. Military.
Meredith, L. S., Sherbourne, C. D., Gaillot, S., Hansell, L., Ritschard, H. V., Parker, A. M., & Wrenn, G. L. (2011) · PubMed Central · Cited by 341 · see citing works
Validation of Scales From the Deployment Risk and Resilience Inventory in a Sample of Operation Iraqi Freedom Veterans
Vogt, D. S., Proctor, S. P., King, D. W., King, L. A., & Vasterling, J. J. (2008) · Assessment · doi:10.1177/1073191108316030 · Cited by 335 · see citing works
The Challenges of Afghanistan and Iraq Veterans’ Transition from Military to Civilian Life and Approaches to Reconnection
Ahern, J., Worthen, M., Masters, J., Lippman, S. A., Ozer, E. J., & Moos, R. H. (2015) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0128599 · Cited by 291 · see citing works
Predictive and treatment validity of life satisfaction and the Quality of Life Inventory
Frisch, M. B., Clark, M. P., Rouse, S. V., Rudd, M. D., Paweleck, J. K., Greenstone, A., & Kopplin, D. A. (2005) · Assessment · doi:10.1177/1073191104268006 · Cited by 287 · see citing works
Anger and combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder
Novaco, R. W., & Chemtob, C. M. (2002) · Journal of Traumatic Stress · doi:10.1023/a:1014855924072 · Cited by 237 · see citing works
The stigma of mental health problems and other barriers to care in the UK Armed Forces
Iversen, A. C., van Staden, L. N., Hughes, J. H., Greenberg, N. L., Hotopf, M. H., Rona, R. J., Thornicroft, G., Wessely, S. C., & Fear, N. T. (2011) · BMC Health Services Research · doi:10.1186/1472-6963-11-31 · Cited by 220 · see citing works
Transition From the Military Into Civilian Life
Cooper, L., Caddick, N., Godier-McBard, L. R., Cooper, A., & Fossey, M. J. (2016) · Armed Forces & Society · doi:10.1177/0095327x16675965 · Cited by 202 · see citing works
Impact of acceptance and commitment therapy versus education on stigma toward people with psychological disorders
Masuda, A., Hayes, S. C., Fletcher, L. B., Seignourel, P. J., Bunting, K., Herbst, S. A., Twohig, M. P., & Lillis, J. (2007) · Behaviour Research and Therapy · doi:10.1016/j.brat.2007.05.008 · Cited by 185 · see citing works
Military to civilian questionnaire: a measure of postdeployment community reintegration difficulty among veterans using Department of Veterans Affairs medical care
Sayer, N. A., Frazier, P., Orazem, R. J., Murdoch, M., Gravely, A., Carlson, K. F., Hintz, S., & Noorbaloochi, S. (2011) · Journal of Traumatic Stress · doi:10.1002/jts.20706 · Cited by 180 · see citing works
Costs and benefits of self-efficacy: Differences of the stress response and clinical implications
Schönfeld, P., Preusser, F., & Margraf, J. (2017) · Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.01.031 · Cited by 177 · see citing works
Are mental toughness and mental health contradictory concepts in elite sport? A narrative review of theory and evidence
Gucciardi, D. F., Hanton, S., & Fleming, S. (2016) · Journal of science and medicine in sport · doi:10.1016/j.jsams.2016.08.006 · Cited by 176 · see citing works
Explanations for the increase in mental health problems in UK reserve forces who have served in Iraq
Browne, T., Hull, L., Horn, O., Jones, M., Murphy, D., Fear, N. T., Greenberg, N. L., French, C., Rona, R. J., Wessely, S. C., et al. (2007) · The British Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1192/bjp.bp.106.030544 · Cited by 169 · see citing works
Development and initial validation of the Response to Stressful Experiences Scale.
Johnson, D. C., Polusny, M. A., Erbes, C. R., King, D., King, L., Litz, B., Schnurr, P., Friedman, M., Pietrzak, R., & Southwick, S. (2011) · Military Medicine · doi:10.7205/milmed-d-10-00258 · Cited by 158 · see citing works
The impact of military deployment and reintegration on children and parenting: A systematic review.
Creech, S. K., Hadley, W. S., & Borsari, B. E. (2014) · Professional Psychology Research and Practice · doi:10.1037/a0035055 · Cited by 150 · see citing works
The impact of deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan on partners and wives of military personnel
Burgh, H. T. D., White, C. J., Fear, N. T., & Iversen, A. C. (2011) · International Review of Psychiatry · doi:10.3109/09540261.2011.560144 · Cited by 145 · see citing works
Mental health and wellbeing in England: Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey 2014. A survey carried out for NHS Digital by NatCen Social Research andthe Department of Health Sciences, University of Leicester
McManus, S., Bebbington, P., Jenkins, R., & Brugha, T. S. (2016) · Cited by 140 · see citing works
Construct Validity of the Short Forms of the Dyadic Adjustment Scale
Hunsley, J. D., Pinsent, C., Lefèbvre, M., James-Tanner, S., & Vito, D. (1995) · Family Relations · doi:10.2307/585520 · Cited by 129 · see citing works
Effect of transition home from combat on risk‐taking and health‐related behaviors
Adler, A. B., Britt, T. W., Castro, C. A., McGurk, D., & Bliese, P. D. (2011) · Journal of Traumatic Stress · doi:10.1002/jts.20665 · Cited by 117 · see citing works
What's in a Name? Defining and Caring for “Veterans”
Dandeker, C., Wessely, S. C., Iversen, A. C., & Ross, J. (2006) · Armed Forces & Society · doi:10.1177/0095327x05279177 · Cited by 99 · see citing works
Preventing Psychological Disorders in Service Members and Their Families: An Assessment of Programs
Denning, L., Meisnere, M., & Warner, K. (2014) · Military Medicine · doi:10.7205/milmed-d-14-00360 · Cited by 98 · see citing works
Prevalence of Mental Health Symptoms in Dutch Military Personnel Returning from Deployment to Afghanistan: A 2-year Longitudinal Analysis
Reijnen, A., Rademaker, A. R., Vermetten, E. H. G. J. M., & Geuze, E. (2014) · European Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.eurpsy.2014.05.003 · Cited by 97 · see citing works
Mental health screening in armed forces before the Iraq war and prevention of subsequent psychological morbidity: follow-up study
Rona, R. J., Hooper, R., Jones, M., Hull, L., Browne, T., Horn, O., Murphy, D., Hotopf, M. H., & Wessely, S. C. (2006) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.38985.610949.55 · Cited by 94 · see citing works
Military Combat Deployments and Substance Use: Review and Future Directions
Larson, M. J., Wooten, N. R., Adams, R. S., & Merrick, E. L. (2012) · Journal of Social Work Practice in the Addictions · doi:10.1080/1533256x.2012.647586 · Cited by 92 · see citing works
Master Resilience Training and Its Relationship to Individual Well-Being and Stress Buffering Among Army National Guard Soldiers
Griffith, J. E., & West, C. (2013) · The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research · doi:10.1007/s11414-013-9320-8 · Cited by 91 · see citing works
Risky Driving Among Regular Armed Forces Personnel from the United Kingdom
Fear, N. T., Iversen, A. C., Chatterjee, A., Jones, M., Greenberg, N. L., Hull, L., Rona, R. J., Hotopf, M. H., & Wessely, S. C. (2008) · American Journal of Preventive Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2008.05.027 · Cited by 76 · see citing works
Post-9/11 Veterans and Their Partners Improve Mental Health Outcomes with a Self-directed Mobile and Web-based Wellness Training Program: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Kahn, J. R., Collinge, W., & Soltysik, R. C. (2016) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/jmir.5800 · Cited by 74 · see citing works
The Palgrave International Handbook of Gender and the Military
Millar, K. (2017) · Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks · doi:10.1057/978-1-137-51677-0 · Cited by 74 · see citing works
Coming Home: Social Functioning and the Mental Health of UK Reservists on Return From Deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan
Harvey, S. B., Hatch, S. L., Jones, M., Hull, L., Jones, N., Greenberg, N. L., Dandeker, C., Fear, N. T., & Wessely, S. C. (2011) · Annals of Epidemiology · doi:10.1016/j.annepidem.2011.05.004 · Cited by 73 · see citing works
“Are You a Veteran?” Understanding of the Term “Veteran” among UK Ex-Service Personnel
Burdett, H. J., Woodhead, C., Iversen, A. C., Wessely, S. C., Dandeker, C., & Fear, N. T. (2012) · Armed Forces & Society · doi:10.1177/0095327x12452033 · Cited by 72 · see citing works
Post-deployment screening for mental disorders and tailored advice about help-seeking in the UK military: a cluster randomised controlled trial
Rona, R. J., Burdett, H. J., Khondoker, M. R., Chesnokov, M., Green, K., Pernet, D., Jones, N., Greenberg, N. L., Wessely, S. C., & Fear, N. T. (2017) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(16)32398-4 · Cited by 68 · see citing works
The mental health of the UK Armed Forces: where facts meet fiction
Hunt, E. J. F., Wessely, S. C., Jones, N., Rona, R. J., & Greenberg, N. L. (2014) · European Journal of Psychotraumatology · doi:10.3402/ejpt.v5.23617 · Cited by 66 · see citing works
Postdeployment Battlemind training for the U.K. armed forces: A cluster randomized controlled trial.
Mulligan, K., Fear, N. T., Jones, N., Alvarez, H., Hull, L., Naumann, U., Wessely, S. C., & Greenberg, N. L. (2012) · Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1037/a0027664 · Cited by 59 · see citing works
Randomized Controlled Trial of Online Expressive Writing to Address Readjustment Difficulties Among U.S. Afghanistan and Iraq War Veterans
Sayer, N. A., Noorbaloochi, S., Frazier, P. A., Pennebaker, J. W., Orazem, R. J., Schnurr, P. P., Murdoch, M., Carlson, K. F., Gravely, A. A., & Litz, B. T. (2015) · Journal of Traumatic Stress · doi:10.1002/jts.22047 · Cited by 58 · see citing works
Mediating mechanisms of a military web-based alcohol intervention
Williams, J. G., Herman-Stahl, M. A., Calvin, S., Pemberton, M. R., & Bradshaw, M. (2008) · Drug and Alcohol Dependence · doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2008.10.007 · Cited by 56 · see citing works
Moving forward: A problem-solving training program to foster veteran resilience.
Tenhula, W. N., Nezu, A. M., Nezu, C. M., Stewart, M. O., Miller, S., Steele, J., & Karlin, B. E. (2014) · Professional Psychology Research and Practice · doi:10.1037/a0037150 · Cited by 52 · see citing works
Psycho-educational interventions designed to prevent deployment-related psychological ill-health in Armed Forces personnel: a review
Mulligan, K., Fear, N. T., Jones, N., Wessely, S. C., & Greenberg, N. L. (2010) · Psychological Medicine · doi:10.1017/s003329171000125x · Cited by 51 · see citing works
Subthreshold Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a Predictor of Depression, Alcohol Use, and Health Problems in Veterans
Yarvis, J. S., & Schiess, L. (2008) · Journal of Workplace Behavioral Health · doi:10.1080/15555240802547801 · Cited by 48 · see citing works
Stress and Emotional Well-being in Military Organizations
Harms, P. D., Krasikova, D. V., Vanhove, A. J., Herian, M. N., & Lester, P. B. (2013) · Emerald Group Publishing Limited eBooks · doi:10.1108/s1479-3555(2013)0000011008 · Cited by 48 · see citing works
Suicidal or Self‐Harming Ideation in Military Personnel Transitioning to Civilian Life
Mansfield, A. J., Bender, R. H., Hourani, L. L., & Larson, G. E. (2011) · Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior · doi:10.1111/j.1943-278x.2011.00039.x · Cited by 47 · see citing works
A postdeployment expressive writing intervention for military couples: A randomized controlled trial
Baddeley, J. L., & Pennebaker, J. W. (2011) · Journal of Traumatic Stress · doi:10.1002/jts.20679 · Cited by 46 · see citing works
Life guard: evaluation of an ACT-based workshop to facilitate reintegration of OIF/OEF veterans.
Blevins, D., Roca, J. V., & Spencer, T. (2011) · Professional Psychology Research and Practice · doi:10.1037/a0022321 · Cited by 44 · cited 12× · see citing works
“Similar adjustments may be required post-deployment, and may occur over a period of time after leaving service, and could be ongoing for Reservists.”
BackgroundMethodInfluential
Promoting Reintegration of National Guard Veterans and Their Partners Using a Self-Directed Program of Integrative Therapies: A Pilot Study
Collinge, W., Kahn, J. R., & Soltysik, R. C. (2012) · Military Medicine · doi:10.7205/milmed-d-12-00121 · Cited by 37 · see citing works
A randomized pilot study of anger treatment for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans
Shea, M. T., Lambert, J., & Reddy, M. K. (2013) · Behaviour Research and Therapy · doi:10.1016/j.brat.2013.05.013 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
Evaluation of a psychological health and resilience intervention for military spouses: A pilot study.
Kees, M. R., & Rosenblum, K. L. (2015) · Psychological Services · doi:10.1037/ser0000035 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
Targeting Relational Aggression in Veterans
Hayes, M. A., Gallagher, M. W., Stavitsky, K., Creech, S. K., DeCandia, C. J., Beach, C. A., & Taft, C. T. (2015) · The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry · doi:10.4088/jcp.14m09155 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
The Role of Emotion and Emotion Regulation in Job Stress and Well Being
Perrewé, P. L., Rosen, C. C., & Halbesleben, J. R. B. (2013) · doi:10.1108/s1479-3555(2013)0000011018 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
Pilot study of Internet-based early intervention for combat-related mental distress
Voorhees, B. W. V., Gollan, J. K., & Fogel, J. (2012) · The Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development · doi:10.1682/jrrd.2011.05.0095 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
Resilient Warrior: A Stress Management Group to Improve Psychological Health in Service Members
Sylvia, L. G., Bui, É., Baier, A. L., Mehta, D. H., Denninger, J. W., Fricchione, G. L., Casey, A., Kagan, L., Park, E. R., & Simon, N. M. (2015) · Global Advances in Health and Medicine · doi:10.7453/gahmj.2015.080 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
A review of United Kingdom Armed Forces’ approaches to prevent post-deployment mental health problems
Fertout, M., Jones, N., Greenberg, N. L., Mulligan, K., Ng‐Knight, T., & Wessely, S. C. (2011) · International Review of Psychiatry · doi:10.3109/09540261.2010.557770 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
The experience of intrusions scale: A preliminary examination
Salters‐Pedneault, K., Vine, V., Mills, M. A., Park, C. L., & Litz, B. T. (2008) · Anxiety Stress & Coping · doi:10.1080/10615800802403823 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Evaluating postdeployment training for coping with intrusive cognition: A comparison of training approaches.
Shipherd, J. C., Salters‐Pedneault, K., & Fordiani, J. (2016) · Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1037/ccp0000136 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Operation Restoration: Couples Reunification Retreats for Veterans of Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom
Davis, L. W., Paul, R., Tarr, D., Eicher, A. C., Allinger, J., & Knock, H. (2012) · Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services · doi:10.3928/02793695-20121003-02 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
A systematic review of the effectiveness of alcohol brief interventions for the UK military personnel moving back to civilian life
Wigham, S., Bauer, A., Robalino, S., Ferguson, J., Burke, A., & Newbury‐Birch, D. (2017) · Journal of the Royal Army Medical Corps · doi:10.1136/jramc-2016-000712 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Self-citation
Gender, Mental Health and the Military
Cornish, H. (2017) · Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks · doi:10.1057/978-1-137-51677-0_17 · Cited by 4 · see citing works

Flagged first, then by citations

1 of the 105 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 4

[47]Novaco RW. Anger control: The development and evaluation of an experimental treatment Oxford: Lexington; 1975.
[59]Derogatis LR. BSI 18, Brief Symptom Inventory 18: Administration, scoring and procedures manual: NCS Pearson, Incorporated 2001.
[60]Derogatis LR. Brief Symptom Inventory: BSI; Administration, scoring, and procedures manual. Pearson; 1993.
[88]Schwarzer R, Jerusalem M. Generalized self-efficacy scale In: Weinman J, Wright S, Johnston M, editors. Measures in health psychology: A user’s portfolio. Causal and control beliefs. Windsor, UK: NFER-Nelson; 1995: 35– 7.

Sorted by citations

Psychological interventions to foster resilience in healthcare professionals
Kunzler, A. M., Helmreich, I., Chmitorz, A., König, J., Binder, H., Wessa, M., & Lieb, K. (2020) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd012527.pub2 · Cited by 390 · see citing works
Psychological interventions to foster resilience in healthcare students
Kunzler, A. M., Helmreich, I., König, J., Chmitorz, A., Wessa, M., Binder, H., & Lieb, K. (2020) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd013684 · Cited by 172 · see citing works
Resiliency to adversity in military personnel: The role of self-regulation
McLarnon, M. J. W., Rothstein, M. G., & King, G. A. (2021) · Military Psychology · doi:10.1080/08995605.2021.1897492 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Participation Is Associated With Well-Being Among Community-Based Veterans: An Investigation of Coping Ability, Meaningful Activity, and Social Support as Mediating Mechanisms
Kinney, A. R., Graham, J. E., & Eakman, A. (2020) · American Journal of Occupational Therapy · doi:10.5014/ajot.2020.037119 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Comparative efficacy and acceptability of resilience-focused interventions for nurses: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Liu, M., Yan, Z., & Wu, C. (2025) · BMC Nursing · doi:10.1186/s12912-025-03090-0 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Feasibility, acceptability, and initial outcomes of a psychological adjustment and reintegration program for transitioned military veterans
Romaniuk, M., Saunders-Dow, E., Brown, K., & Batterham, P. J. (2024) · BMC Psychology · doi:10.1186/s40359-024-02097-7 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
“Additionally, a systematic review of well-being interventions for adjustment to civilian life highlighted several U.S programs that focus on expressive writing, psychological therapies, resilience building, and fostering connections in relationships [38].”
Background
An ecosystem approach to the evaluation and impact analysis of heterogeneous preventive and/or early interventions projects for veterans and first responders in seven countries
Lukersmith, S., Salvador‐Carulla, L., Woods, C., Niyonsenga, T., Gutiérrez-Colosía, M. R., Mohanty, I., GARCÍA-ALONSO, C. R., Díaz-Milanés, D., Salinas-Perez, J. A., Davey, R., et al. (2025) · Comprehensive Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.comppsych.2025.152578 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
The relationship between Black racial identity, military identity, and postdeployment reintegration of Black male veterans
Winters, K., Hutchins, D., & Nelson, L. R. (2023) · Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development · doi:10.1002/jmcd.12285 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Recognition and development of customized cosmetics for military trainees in 20s and 30s in Republic of Korea
Lee, J., & Kwon, K. H. (2021) · Health Science Reports · doi:10.1002/hsr2.334 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Sustained positive behaviour change of wounded, injured and sick UK military following an adaptive adventure sports and health coaching recovery course
Sutton, R. J., Kay, C., McKenna, J., & Kaiseler, M. (2021) · BMJ Military Health · doi:10.1136/bmjmilitary-2021-001784 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
A Schema Conceptualisation of Psychosocial Functioning Among Transitioned Military Personnel
Fry, M. A., Boschen, M. J., Morrissey, S. A., Yalcin, O., & Burton, N. W. (2023) · Cognitive Therapy and Research · doi:10.1007/s10608-023-10455-9 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
The enduring well-being impacts of attending the Battle Back Multi Activity Course for the lives of recovering UK armed forces personnel
Kay, C., & McKenna, J. (2022) · Military Psychology · doi:10.1080/08995605.2021.2002595 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
A comparison of mental health and intelligence in young women and men eligible for military training
Albrektsen, M., Vestergaard, T. H., Andreasen, J., & Nilsson, K. K. (2020) · Personality and Individual Differences · doi:10.1016/j.paid.2020.110414 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Who Supports the Troops? Social Support Domains and Sources in Active Duty Army Networks
Barr, N., Petry, L., Fulginiti, A., Arora, A., Cederbaum, J. A., Castro, C. A., & Rice, E. R. W. (2023) · Armed Forces & Society · doi:10.1177/0095327x231182907 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Study protocol for the Evaluation of the Movember and Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride Veterans and First Responders Mental Health Grant ProgramPreprint
Lukersmith, S., Salvador‐Carulla, L., Woods, C., Niyonsenga, T., Gutiérrez-Colosía, M. R., Mohanty, I., GARCÍA-ALONSO, C. R., Díaz-Milanés, D., Pérez, J. A. S., Davey, R., et al. (2024) · Research Square · doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-4008980/v1 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
MILITARY RESILIENCY AND INTEGRATIVE TREATMENT STRATEGIES IN OPERATION MILITARY COUNSELING
Stebnicki, M. A. (2020) · doi:10.1002/9781119783527.ch14
Returning home from a full-scale armed conflict: A rapid review of short post-deployment psychological practices
Karolaakso, T., Mikkonen, K., Pakkanen, T., Simola, P. E., & Peltonen, K. (2025) · Military Psychology · doi:10.1080/08995605.2025.2469329 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
“Those conversations are extremely vivid in my mind some 40+ years later. They haunt me.” investigating reconstrual, final conversations, and posttraumatic growth in a military context
Tenzek, K. E., Lee, D., Lattimer, T. A., Lapan, E., & Mackenzie, L. (2026) · Death Studies · doi:10.1080/07481187.2026.2626556
Rewire: a novel group schema therapy intervention for the military to civilian transition
Fry, M. A., Boschen, M. J., Morrissey, S. A., & Burton, N. W. (2026) · Clinical Psychologist · doi:10.1080/13284207.2026.2659014
Understanding the impact of the unique stressors of National Guard service: the National Guard Occupational Demands Model
Kintzle, S. M., Barr, N., Lee, J. J., Alday, E., & Castro, C. A. (2026) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1958672
Comprehensive Health Predictors of Injury, Illness, and Separation From Service After Enrollment in Special Forces Assessment and Selection: A Two‐Year Longitudinal Study
Beckner, M. E., Farina, E. K., Thompson, L., Knapik, J. J., Pasiakos, S. M., McClung, J. P., & Lieberman, H. R. (2026) · Stress and Health · doi:10.1002/smi.70226

A scoping review of protective factors that contribute to posttraumatic wellbeing for trauma-exposed military service members and veteransPreprint
Pyne, J., Sheila Hanson, P., Weber, M. C., Fischer, E., Cucciare, M. A., Tobey-Moore, L., Hundt, N., Tong, L., Ray, T., Hamby, S., et al. (2024) · OSF Preprints (OSF Preprints)
Non-psychotic psychiatric disorders in persons who have experienced psychosocial stress in terms of military conflict.
Yuryeva, L., Shusterman, T. Y., & Liholetov, E. О. (2019) · Medicni perspektivi · doi:10.26641/2307-0404.2019.4.189601 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Непсихотичні психічні розлади в осіб, що зазнали психосоціального стресу в умовах військового конфлікту
Юр’єва, Л. М., Шустерман, Т. Й., & Likholetov, Y. (2019)
A systematic review of interventions aimed at enhancing wellbeing, resilience or couple functioning in spouses of serving military personnel / Evaluation of a web-based, resilience intervention for military spouses to support wellbeing.
(7674848), A. M. (2022) · Figshare
A systematic review of interventions for supporting partners of military Veterans with PTSD
Turgoose, D., & Murphy, D. (2019) · Journal of Military Veteran and Family Health · doi:10.3138/jmvfh.2018-0035 · Cited by 20 · see citing works

Authors: Bauer, A., Newbury-Birch, D., Robalino, S., Ferguson, J., & Wigham, S.
Affiliations: Newcastle University (GB)
Teesside University (GB)
Corresponding author: Wigham, Sarah
ORCID: Robalino, Shannon
Ferguson, Jennifer
Wigham, Sarah
Venue: PLOS ONE
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Published: 2018-05-02
Volume: 13
Issue: 5
Pages: e0190144
ISSN: 1932-6203 (ISSN-L)
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0190144
PMC: PMC5931793
OpenAlex: W2782897250
Cited by: 21
References: 105
Citations by year: 2026: 4 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 5
FWCI: 0.30
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: gold
doi.org
Licence: cc-by
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (vor)
Locations: PLoS ONE (publishedVersion, cc-by)
Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
TeesRep (Teesside University) (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Newcastle University ePrints (Newcastle Univesity) (cc-by)
Funders: Forces in Mind Trust (BH140637)
Topics: Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction
Social Sciences › Education › Education and Military Integration
Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
Keywords: well-being interventions, military personnel, veterans, reintegration into civilian life, post-traumatic stress, resilience, expressive writing, anger management, cognitive training, psychoeducation, relaxation techniques, social connectedness, family members of military personnel, intervention effectiveness
MeSH terms: Adaptation, Psychological, Humans, Mental Health, Military Personnel

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review

Is prevention better than cure? A systematic review of the effectiveness of well-being interventions for military personnel adjusting to civilian life

Abstract

Integrity signals

Claims the paper makes

Claims other papers make about this one

Self-check

Cites

Cited by

Related

Record

About these checks