Self-Efficacy for Life Tasks in OEF/OIF Veterans: Assessing Functional Concerns in the Clinic

Abstract

To evaluate the clinical utility of a new scale assessing Self-Efficacy for Life Tasks (SELT), we examined whether SELT was associated with postdeployment symptoms among male U.S. veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). A total of 41 OEF/OIF veterans completed the SELT scale and measures of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, combat exposure, postdeployment social support, and stressful life events. SELT emerged as significantly associated with PTSD, depression, and anxiety, and remained significant following adjustment for stress exposures and social support. The SELT scale may aid in assessing functional concerns following reintegration and targeting therapy to address veterans’ individual life challenges.

Keywords:

• OEF/OIF
• veterans
• self-efficacy
• PTSD
• anxiety
• depression
• postdeployment health
• psychosocial functioning
• reintegration
• readjustment

Acknowledgments

This article is not subject to US copyright law.

This article is the result of work supported by funding from VA HSR&D (DHI 09-237), the MARIAL Center of Emory University (a Sloan Foundation Center for Working Families), and the National Science Foundation (BCS-0650437), and with resources and the use of facilities at the South Texas Veterans Health Care System. Dr. Finley is an investigator with the Implementation Research Institute (IRI) at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis; through an award from the National Institute of Mental Health (R25 MH080916-01A2) and the Department of Veterans Affairs, Health Services Research and Development Service, Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (QUERI). The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the Department of Veterans Affairs or the U.S. government.