Reference:
Nelson, C. B., Zivin, K, Walters, H., Ganoczy, D., MacDermid Wadsworth, S. M., & Valenstein, M. (2015). Factors Associated With Civilian Employment, Work Satisfaction, and Performance Among National Guard Members. Psychiatric Services, 66(12), 1318-1325. http://dx.doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.201400334
Summary:
Co-authored by MFRI Director Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth, this article investigated several factors associated with employment-related outcomes among National Guard members returning from Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation New Dawn deployments.
Researchers found that higher-risk alcohol use was connected to lower odds of being employed and less satisfaction at work, while psychiatric symptoms were linked to lower work performance and job satisfaction. Veterans and service members with more social support reported better work performance and job satisfaction. The authors also found that better physical functioning was associated with better work performance.
The study’s findings underscore the importance of researching the following topics in the future:
- Alcohol use among unemployed National Guard members;
- Psychiatric symptoms and physical functioning among employed service members who perceive poor work performance and have low work satisfaction; and
- Causal links between predictors and employment outcomes.