A Mixed-Methods Examination of the Effects of Organizational and Incident Stressors on the Mental Health of Navy Corpsmen

Abstract

Military healthcare providers experience a unique combination of occupational stressors, which put them at risk for adverse mental health outcomes. However, little attention has been devoted to organizational and incident stressors. The current study used a mixed-methods approach to examine organizational and incident stressors and their associations with mental health symptoms in a sample of Navy corpsmen. Participants completed qualitative interviews assessing workplace stressors, followed by a quantitative questionnaire that assessed organizational stressors, incident stressors, and mental health symptoms (i.e., depression, posttraumatic stress, and anxiety). Qualitative analyses revealed that corpsmen most commonly discussed themes associated with heavy workload, high level of responsibility, long work hours, lack of leadership support, and feelings of burden associated with the responsibility for saving the lives of others. Quantitative analyses revealed that organizational stressors were associated with depression symptoms and incident stressors were associated with posttraumatic stress symptoms. The results indicated that different types of stressors are associated with distinct mental health outcomes and highlighted modifiable contextual factors that could reduce distress among Navy corpsmen. Interventions that address organizational and incident stressors and enhance resilience would ensure that corpsmen are well-prepared to withstand stressors and provide quality care to their patients.

Keywords:

• Occupational stress
• depression
• posttraumatic stress
• anxiety
• military

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to sincerely thank Suzanne Hurtado, Cynthia Simon-Arndt, Elizabeth Lauer, Stephanie Booth-Kewley, and Andrew Kewley for their substantial contributions to the study. The authors also would like to thank Julia Seay and Patrick Nardulli for reviewing an earlier version of this manuscript and providing constructive feedback. Last, but certainly not least, thank you to the corpsmen who took the time to share their experiences with the research staff.

Disclaimer

One or more of the authors is a military service member or employee of the U.S. Government. This work was prepared as part of their official duties. Title 17, U.S.C. §105 provides that copyright protection under this title is not available for any work of the U.S. Government. Title 17, U.S.C. §101 defines a U.S. Government work as work prepared by a military service member or employee of the U.S. Government as part of that person’s official duties. Report No. 21-61 was supported by the U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery under work unit no. N1313. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Navy, Department of Defense, nor the U.S. Government.

The study protocol was approved by the Naval Health Research Center Institutional Review Board in compliance with all applicable Federal regulations governing the protection of human subjects. Research data were derived from an approved Naval Health Research Center, Institutional Review Board protocol number NHRC.2014.0034.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery [work unit no. N1313].