Korean J Psychosom Med.  2020 Dec;28(2):143-154. 10.22722/KJPM.2020.28.2.143.

Differences in Cognitive and Psychological Characteristics of Psychiatric Patients with Military Service Issues versus General Psychiatric Outpatients

• Shim S
• Choi J
• Kim E

• KMID: 2510466
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.22722/KJPM.2020.28.2.143

Abstract

Objectives
：The purpose of this study was to examine cognitive and psychological characteristics of patients with military service suitability issues compared to the general psychiatric outpatients.
Methods
：108 patients who visited psychiatric clinic center due to military service suitability issues and 80 general psychiatric patients were recruited from the Department of Psychiatry of university hospital. ANCOVA and chi-equare test were used to examine differences between two groups. Furthermore, we utilized paired t-test to compare the scrore within military group depending on when they performed the psychological assessment.
Results
：There were no significant differences between military group and general outpatient group in WAIS-IV scores. However, military group scored remarkably higher than control group on validity scales, F-r and Fp-r whereas they scored lower on validity scale, K-r. Furthermore, military group showed significantly higher on BDI and MMPI-2-RF, EID, RCd, RC2, RC3, COG, HLP, SFD, NFC, STW, SAVE, SHY, DSF, NEGE-r, INTR-r. As a result of comparison within the military group following the periods of assessment, military group did not show the significant differences on the overall scales of MMPI-2-RF.
Conclusions
：The present study showed that military group tends to report their psychological distress more exaggeratedly. In addition, they had significantly elevated not only emotional distress such as depression and anxiety but interpersonal problem. The implications and limitations were discussed along with some suggestions for the future studies.

Keyword

Military maladjustment; Depression; Anxiety; Interpersonal problem