ArticlePloS one2020
Mental health, physical health, and health-related behaviors of U.S. Army Special Forces.
Article in PloS one, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers.
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13 citing papers in PubMed.
- Comprehensive Health Predictors of Injury, Illness, and Separation From Service After Enrollment in Special Forces Assessment and Selection: A Two-Year Longitudinal Study.Stress and health : journal of the International Society for the Investigation of Stress · 2026Article
- Suicidal Behavior in US Army Special Operations Forces.JAMA network open · 2025Article
- Self-awareness of soldiers regarding risk factors for cardiovascular diseases.International journal of occupational medicine and environmental health · 2025Article
- Examining factors associated with self-reported cognitive functioning in elite military settings: considerations of combat experiences and post-traumatic stress symptomology.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Prospective comparison of risk factors for firearm suicide and non-firearm suicide in a large population-based cohort of current and former US service members: findings from the Millennium Cohort Study.Lancet regional health. Americas · 2024Article
- A retrospective chart review to assess the impact of alpha-guided transcranial magnetic stimulation on symptoms of PTSD and depression in active-duty special operations service members.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2024Article
- Strategic resilience in human performance in the context of science and education - perspective.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2024Article
- Evaluation of health behaviours of Polish Army soldiers in relation to demographic factors, body weight and type of Armed Forces.International journal of occupational medicine and environmental health · 2023Article
- Applying the Socioecological Model to Map Factors Associated with Military Physical Activity Adherence.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
- Clustering of Health and Oral Health-Compromising Behaviours in Army Personnel in Central Peninsular Malaysia.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Long-Term Effects of Repeated Blast Exposure in United States Special Operations Forces Personnel: A Pilot Study Protocol.Journal of neurotrauma · 2022Article
- Article
- Profile of forensic medical examinations among members of the Battalion of Special Police Operations of Santa Catarina, Brazil.Revista brasileira de medicina do trabalho : publicacao oficial da Associacao Nacional de Medicina do Trabalho-ANAMTArticle
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Authors and funding
11 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesTo prospectively examine the health and health-related behaviors of Army Special Forces personnel in comparison with two distinct, but functionally similar Army groups.
methodsSpecial Forces, Ranger Qualified, and General Purposes Forces enrolled in the Millennium Cohort Study were identified using data from the Defense Manpower Data Center. Using prospective survey data (2001-2014), we estimated the association of Army specialization with mental health, social support, physical health, and health-related behaviors with multivariable regression models.
resultsAmong the 5,392 eligible participants (84.4% General Purposes Forces, 10.0% Special Forces, 5.6% Ranger Qualified), Special Forces personnel reported the lowest prevalence of mental disorders, physical health problems, and unhealthy behaviors. In the multivariable models, Special Forces personnel were less likely to report mental health problems, multiple somatic symptoms, and unhealthy behaviors compared with General Purpose Forces infantrymen (odds ratios [OR]: 0.20-0.54, p-values < .01). Overall, Special Forces personnel were similar in terms of mental and physical health compared with Ranger Qualified infantrymen, but were less likely to sleep < 5 hours/night (OR: 0.60, 95% confidence intervals: 0.40, 0.92) and have 5 or more multiple somatic symptoms (OR: 0.69, 95% CI: 0.49, 0.98). Both Special Forces personnel and Ranger Qualified infantrymen engaged in more healthy behaviors compared with General Purpose Forces infantrymen (OR: 2.57-6.22, p-values<0.05). Engagement in more healthy behaviors reduced the odds of subsequent adverse health outcomes, regardless of specialization.
conclusionsArmy Special Forces personnel were found to be mentally and physically healthier than General Purpose Forces infantrymen, which may in part be due to their tendency to engage in healthy behaviors. Findings indicate that engagement in a greater number of healthy behaviors may reduce odds for subsequent adverse outcomes.
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