Gender-related differences in mental health of Canadian Armed Forces members during the COVID-19 pandemic

Lay Summary The challenges associated with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have the potential to not only adversely affect mental health in general, but also to emphasize and widen disparities in mental health across demographic groups. In particular, research suggests that women have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic psychologically, socially, and economically. However, the state of mental health in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) during the pandemic and the impacts of gender on mental health outcomes are currently unknown. This study uses data collected early in the pandemic to examine the state of mental health of CAF Regular Force members and the impacts of gender and family status. Although most members were doing well, a notable minority were experiencing mental health issues at potentially clinically significant levels, with women more likely to experience depression and anxiety than men and women with children less likely to experience functional impairment as a result of their symptoms. The findings provide a snapshot of the mental health of Regular Force members during the pandemic and suggest the importance of considering gender and family situation in understanding mental health.

Canadian forces deployments: a family experience

Physical absences and deployments are a vivid reality for Canadian Forces (CF) members and their families. Whether for training, course work or overseas deployment, CF members can be absent from their families for weeks, or several months at a time as required for military service. My thesis documentary video, Canadian Forces Deployments: A Family Experience provides a glimpse of military families' experiences of deployment of a CF member to Afghanistan. The objective of this video is to provide a representation of the subgroup of military families that differs from the common mainstream media representations of soldiers fighting in Afghanistan who have been or are absent. The basis of this project is ethnographic research, conducted through interviews with spouses of Canadian Forces' members who are either currently deployed in the overseas mission in Afghanistan; who have recently returned; or who are awaiting deployment. This project provides an overview of the military lifestyle of members and their families and the general context for deployments. In comparison to past CF missions, greater concern and risk accompanies current deployments of Canadian Forces members as Canada is engaged in a combat role in the politically unstable country of Afghanistan. Through on-camera interviews with spouses of CF members, this documentary provides a representation that is different than commonly found in mainstream media where military families are often depicted solely in grief and mourning. This project stems from my personal acquaintance with the Canadian Forces and military lifestyle, growing up with my father who was an officer in the regular force. The film is supplemented by this paper, which will develop the theoretical framework and provide a synthesis of the responses of the interviewees.

Canadian forces deployments: a family experience

Physical absences and deployments are a vivid reality for Canadian Forces (CF) members and their families. Whether for training, course work or overseas deployment, CF members can be absent from their families for weeks, or several months at a time as required for military service. My thesis documentary video, Canadian Forces Deployments: A Family Experience provides a glimpse of military families' experiences of deployment of a CF member to Afghanistan. The objective of this video is to provide a representation of the subgroup of military families that differs from the common mainstream media representations of soldiers fighting in Afghanistan who have been or are absent. The basis of this project is ethnographic research, conducted through interviews with spouses of Canadian Forces' members who are either currently deployed in the overseas mission in Afghanistan; who have recently returned; or who are awaiting deployment. This project provides an overview of the military lifestyle of members and their families and the general context for deployments. In comparison to past CF missions, greater concern and risk accompanies current deployments of Canadian Forces members as Canada is engaged in a combat role in the politically unstable country of Afghanistan. Through on-camera interviews with spouses of CF members, this documentary provides a representation that is different than commonly found in mainstream media where military families are often depicted solely in grief and mourning. This project stems from my personal acquaintance with the Canadian Forces and military lifestyle, growing up with my father who was an officer in the regular force. The film is supplemented by this paper, which will develop the theoretical framework and provide a synthesis of the responses of the interviewees.

The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members' experience with social services in the military: an exploratory study

The aim of this study was to critically explore the strengths, limitations, barriers and gaps in social services within the CAF in relation to delivery, access and uptake of social services while employed in the CAF. The study provided CAF members an opportunity to express their thoughts, ideas and opinions based on their lived experiences, and to explore creative responses and solutions to issues members face with social services in the CAF. Presented are the findings from data collected through semi-structured, in-depth interviews with recently released CAF members. Themes that emerged from the research captured the lived experiences of the participants and were related to: differences between components (Regular Force vs. Reserve Force), perceived need and its effect on utilization of services, significant improvements in services post 9/11 and Afghanistan, organizational and systemic influence, impact of service providers, and better promotion of social services to the greater CAF community.

The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members' experience with social services in the military: an exploratory study

The aim of this study was to critically explore the strengths, limitations, barriers and gaps in social services within the CAF in relation to delivery, access and uptake of social services while employed in the CAF. The study provided CAF members an opportunity to express their thoughts, ideas and opinions based on their lived experiences, and to explore creative responses and solutions to issues members face with social services in the CAF. Presented are the findings from data collected through semi-structured, in-depth interviews with recently released CAF members. Themes that emerged from the research captured the lived experiences of the participants and were related to: differences between components (Regular Force vs. Reserve Force), perceived need and its effect on utilization of services, significant improvements in services post 9/11 and Afghanistan, organizational and systemic influence, impact of service providers, and better promotion of social services to the greater CAF community.

Incidence of major depression diagnoses in the Canadian Armed Forces: longitudinal analysis of clinical and health administrative data

Purpose Major depression is a leading cause of morbidity in military populations. However, due to a lack of longitudinal data, little is known about the rate at which military personnel experience the onset of new episodes of major depression. We used a new source of clinical and administrative data to estimate the incidence of major depression diagnoses in Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) personnel, and to compare incidence rates between demographic and occupational factors. Methods We extracted all data recorded in the electronic medical records of CAF Regular Force personnel, at every primary care and mental health clinical encounter since 2016. Using a 12-month lookback period, we linked data over time, and identified all patients with incident diagnoses of major depression. We then linked clinical data to CAF administrative records, and estimated incidence rates. We used multivariate Poisson regression to compare adjusted incidence rates between demographic and occupational factors. Results From January to December 2017, CAF Regular Force personnel were diagnosed with major depression at a rate of 29.2 new cases per 1000 person-years at risk. Female sex, age 30 years and older, and non-officer ranks were associated with significantly higher incidence rates. Conclusions We completed the largest study to date on diagnoses of major depression in the Canadian military, and have provided the first estimates of incidence rates in CAF personnel. Our results can inform future mental health resource allocation, and ongoing major depression prevention efforts within the Canadian Armed Forces and other military organizations.

More Than Just Counting Deaths: The Evolution of Suicide Surveillance in the Canadian Armed Forces

Suicide prevention and surveillance are of primary concern to the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and to the CAF Health Services (CFHS). Suicide surveillance has been conducted on behalf of the CFHS by the Directorate of Force Health Protection for nearly 30 years. Over time, multiple changes have occurred within CAF: changes in its military role (from a primarily peacekeeping role to one also involving active combat), changes in operational tempo, temporal changes in at-risk subpopulations, as well as increased awareness and concern with suicide and suicide prevention. This has resulted in the annual reporting of CAF suicide rates and the evolution of the report’s content to respond to the needs of its end users. More recently, Regular Force Army and Combat Arms males have been identified as being at significantly higher risk of suicide, relative to their counterparts, as well as to the Canadian general population. However, this trend has been fairly stable. To optimize the use of limited epidemiologic resources and to shift the focus from the rates themselves towards a better understanding of what they represent and how they can be modified, the suicide surveillance portfolio is evolving to include complementary data sources and elements. This paper describes the different data sources that constitute the CAF’s enhanced suicide surveillance portfolio, the value-added evidence generated by the use of complementary data collection methods and sources, and how this evidence is used by CAF leadership in their efforts to prevent suicide amongst those who serve.

RESERVE FORCE: UNIQUE CONSIDERATIONS AND A COMPARISON WITH REGULAR FORCE ISSUES

Povzetek Rezervna sestava kanadskih oboroženih sil (CAF) je sestavljena iz več komponent. Največja komponenta je primarna rezervna sestava (P Res), katere namen je dopolnjevanje redne sestave (Reg F) pri delovanju doma in v tujini. Vloge pripadnikov stalne in primarne rezerve sestave so zato podobne, obstajajo pa tudi pomembni samostojni vidiki. Sodelovanje v primarni rezervni komponenti lahko prinese bistveno drugačne izkušnje in izzive, povezane z zadrževanjem kadra. V tem članku primerjamo podatke iz dveh nedavnih velikih raziskav: ankete kanadskih oboroženih sil o zadrževanju kadra v stalni sestavi (CAF Reg F Retention Survey) (n = 1956) in ankete kanadskih oboroženih sil o zadrževanju kadra v rezervni sestavi (CAF Reserve Force Retention Survey) (n = 3669). Rezultati so pokazali, da je tako pri pripadnikih stalne sestave kot pri pripadnikih rezervne sestave prisoten konflikt med njihovimi vojaškimi, civilnimi in zasebnimi vlogami, čeprav na različne načine. Iz rezultatov je prav tako mogoče sklepati, da so pogoste domneve, da naj bi pripadniki stalne sestave rezerviste dojemali kot manj predane od njih, neutemeljene. Presenetljivo je, da je bila čustvena in normativna predanost rezervistov višja od predanosti pripadnikov stalne sestave, razlog njihovega odhoda pa pogosto povezan z željo po večji in ne manjši vpetosti v vojsko. Priporočila avtorjev se osredotočajo predvsem na izboljšanje ravnovesja med poklicnim in zasebnim življenjem pripadnikov ter na enakost med komponentami. Ključne besede: kanadske oborožene sile, stalna sestava, primarna rezerva, rezervna sestava, zadrževanje kadra. Abstract The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Reserve Force comprises several subcomponents. The largest is the Primary Reserve (P Res), whose purpose is to supplement the Regular Force (Reg F) in operations at home and abroad. As such, there is similarity in the roles of Reg F and P Res members, but also important unique aspects. Membership of a primarily part-time force may result in significantly different experiences and retention-related challenges. This article compares data from two recent large-scale surveys: the CAF Reg F Retention Survey (n = 1,956) and the CAF Reserve Force Retention Survey (n = 3,669). The results indicated that both the Reg F members and the reservists experience conflict between their military, civilian, and personal roles, albeit in different ways. They also suggest that Reg F members’ oft-cited perceptions of reservists as being less dedicated than themselves are unfounded. Surprisingly, the reservists’ affective and normative commitment was higher than the Reg F members’, and their reasons for leaving often focused on a desire to be more, rather than less, involved with the military. Recommendations focus on improving work-life balance and equity between the components. Keywords: Canadian Armed Forces, Regular Force, Primary Reserve, Reserve Force, retention

Pulsar current sheet Čerenkov radiation

Plasma-filled pulsar magnetospheres contain thin current sheets wherein the charged particles are accelerated by magnetic reconnections to travel at ultra-relativistic speeds. On the other hand, the plasma frequency of the more regular force-free regions of the magnetosphere rests almost precisely on the upper limit of radio frequencies, with the cyclotron frequency being far higher due to the strong magnetic field. This combination produces a peculiar situation, whereby radio-frequency waves can travel at subluminal speeds without becoming evanescent. The conditions are thus conducive to Čerenkov radiation originating from current sheets, which could plausibly serve as a coherent radio emission mechanism. In this paper we aim to provide a portrait of the relevant processes involved, and show that this mechanism can possibly account for some of the most salient features of the observed radio signals.