Mental health in the post-deployment transition assistance program: A qualitative study of National Guard members' experiences

Abstract:Objective: National Guard post-deployment and reintegration processes leave servicemembers with a unique urgency to return to their families, homes, and civilian lives due to the timing and location of the post-deployment Transition Assistance Program (TAP); consequently, National Guard members have reported “checking the boxes” on mental health screeners to prioritize a quick and smooth transition (Salahi, 2023). Although researchers have called for data on the experiences of National Guard members undergoing post-deployment TAP since 2005 (Bascetta), no research to date has answered this call. Method: Eight National Guard members who had been deployed and had undergone post-deployment were individually interviewed to better understand their TAP experiences and needs during their post-deployment transition. Results were analyzed using a Consensual Qualitative Research approach (Hill et al., 2005) to develop domains, core ideas, and categories concerning multiple aspects of the TAP experience. Results: Analysis produced a total of 15 distinct domains, and several core ideas and categories, within three primary research questions. An additional 18 distinct domains were identified within three emergent contextual themes. Domains elucidated participants’ general attitudes toward the mental health aspects of post-deployment TAP, factors that servicemembers considered when deciding whether to accurately report mental health symptoms, and perceived impacts of the timing and location of TAP. Participants were also asked how they might recommend a more effective process. Domains included more comprehensive mental health screening; individualized mental health; destigmatized mental health; and timing, location, and condition changes. Contextual themes emphasized the impact of TAP mental health protocols on future mental health treatment seeking, organizational disillusionment, and mental health stigma. Conclusion: Participants in the current study discussed how the current post-deployment TAP processes and procedures are not effectively achieving desired goals among many National Guard servicemembers. Modifications to post-deployment TAP, informed by the expressed needs and experiences of National Guard members, could improve the experience of National Guard members and their families, while better upholding stated program objectives by considering procedures that encourage the accurate reporting of mental health symptoms, improve mental health support, and increase access to targeted interventions during reintegration. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA, https://aura.antioch.edu/ and Ohio Link ETD Center, https://etd.ohiolink.edu/.