Psychological Screening Procedure for Relocated Soldiers of the Austrian Armed Forces

Background: The Austrian Centre for Operations Preparation (COP) is the organizational body of the Austrian Armed Forces to provide for international and multinational tasks, especially for the preparation and redeployment activities of Peace Support Operations (PSO). The two military psychologists of the COP are responsible for the adequate psychological training and preparation for deployment, the accompanying psychological care-giving for soldiers and their relatives during the mission, but also for the homecoming phase after the end of mission. If necessary, e.g. in case of severe stress symptoms, psychopathological reactions or posttraumatic stress disorder, clinical psychological treatment is provided. Aims: The presentation gives a short overview of the psychological measures applied at the COP for relocated soldiers after Peace Support Operations of the Austrian Armed Forces. Main Contribution: Psychological post-mission measures: psychological preparation for redeployment; feedback through after-deployment questionnaire; psychological debriefing and screening of each homecomer; application of the screening instrument "Homecomer-Check-List" (HCL); provision of further clinical psychological treatment. Conclusions: Among the various psychological measures applied during all phases of PSO, especially since 2007 the homecoming-and after-deployment phase was brought more into focus. The applied psychological measures help to make the repatriation more effective and the homecoming more successful for all persons involved. One of the current intentions of the Austrian Armed Forces Psychological Service is the establishment of a trauma-centre with two clinical psychologists for the treatment of PTSD-patients.