An Occupational Mental Health Model for the Military

Abstract: The military occupational mental health model provides a framework for understanding the relationship between occupationally relevant demands and subsequent mental health adjustment, taking into account individual and organizational resources that can mitigate the impactof those demands. In the case of high-risk occupations like the military, the model can account for the presence of psychological reactions prior to exposure to potentially traumatic events, widen the domain of reactions typically considered, and suggest a different trajectory of symptoms. This article details the components of the occupational health model, using post-traumatic stress disorder as an example, and highlights the role of organizational culture, training and the social environment in understanding service member strengths, reactions to events and behavioral health care decision making. The occupational context has implicationsfor training, early intervention and treatment, and can promote an organization’s systematic approach to preventing, mitigating and treating mental health issues.