This study used a longitudinal research design to examine the impact of predeployment stressors and deployment-related sexual stressors on self-reported psychiatric symptoms of U.S. National Guard soldiers returning from deployments to Iraq or Afghanistan. Prior to deployment, participants completed measures of depression and posttraumatic stress symptoms, along with an inventory of predeployment stressor experiences. At 3-months postdeployment, participants (468 men, 60 women) again completed self-report measures of psychiatric symptoms, along with an inventory of sexual stressors experienced during deployment. We compared a cross-sectional model of sexual stressors' impact on psychiatric symptoms, in which only postdeployment reports were considered, to a longitudinal model in which we adjusted for participants' predeployment stressors and psychiatric symptoms. No participants reported sexual assault during deployment, though sexual harassment was common. The cross-sectional model suggested that deployment-related sexual stressors were significantly associated with postdeployment depression (R-2 = .11) and posttraumatic stress symptoms (R-2 = .10). Once predeployment factors were taken into consideration, however, sexual stressors were no longer significant. The results did not support the notion of lasting negative impact for low-level sexual stressors (e.g., sexual harassment) during deployment after predeployment stressors are accounted for. Future studies of sexual stressors should consider longitudinal designs. Resumen Evaluacion del Impacto de los Estresores Sexuales Este estudio utilizo un diseno de estudio longitudinal para evaluar el impacto de estresores pre despliegue militar y estresores sexuales relacionados a despliegue militar en sintomas psiquiatricos auto reportados de soldados de la Guardia Nacional de EEUU que retornaron del despliegue militar a Iraq o Afganistan. Previo al despliegue militar, los participantes completaron escalas de sintomas de depresion y estres postraumatico, junto a un inventario para experiencias estresantes pre despliegue militar. A los 3 meses post despliegue militar, los participantes (468 varones, 60 mujeres) nuevamente completaron las escalas de auto reporte para sintomas psiquiatricos, junto con un inventario de estresores sexuales experimentados durante el despliegue militar. Comparamos un modelo de corte transversal de impacto de estresores sexuales en sintomas psiquiatricos, en el cual solo reportes post despliegue militar fueron considerados, con un modelo longitudinal ajustado por estresores pre despliegue militar y sintomas psiquiatricos. Ningun participante reporto abuso sexual durante el despliegue, aunque el acoso sexual fue comun. El modelo de corte transversal sugirio que los estresores sexuales relacionados al despliegue estuvieron asociados significativamente con depresion y sintomas de estres postraumaticos post despliegue militar. Cuando los factores pre despliegue militar fueron considerados, los estresores sexuales ya no fueron significativos. Los resultados no respaldaron la nocion de impacto negativo perdurable para estresores sexuales leves (por ej acoso sexual) durante despliegue militar considerando estresores pre despliegue militar. Futuros estudios de estresores sexuales deberian considerar disenos longitudinales. Traditional and Simplified Chinese Abstracts by AsianSTSS ?? : ?????????????,?????????????????????????????? ??: ???????????,?????????????????????????,???????????????????????????????????,?????????????????????,????????????????????,???(468???, 60???)????????????????????????????????????????????,?????????????????????????,????????????????????????????????????,?????????????????????????????????????????(R2 = .11)????????(R2 = .10) ????????,????????????????,????????????????????????,????????????????(????)?????????????????????????????????? ?? : ?????????????,?????????????????????????????? ??: ???????????,?????????????????????????,???????????????????????????????????,?????????????????????,???????????????????,???(468???, 60???)???????????????????????????????????????????,?????????????????????????,????????????????????????????????????,????????????????????????????????????????(R2 = .11)????????(R2 = .10) ????????,????????????????,????????????????????????,????????????????(????)??????????????????????????????????
