Thesis on "Military Employee Stress"

Thesis 66 pages (18029 words) Sources: 56 Style: APA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Military Employee Stress

The objective of this work is to compare, contrast and synthesize and evaluate the principles of societal development including an evaluation of the workplace and resulting family stress. In order to understand the effects of how societal development in the workplace has affected the family unit, an evaluation of the workplace and resulting family stress will be conducted. Additionally, this work will compare, contrast and evaluate the work of Weber, Durkheim, Spencer and Marx, the four social theorists upon whose work this study will be based and upon which the integration of current information meaning included in scholarly journals written by experts on family dynamics will be applied to the findings from actual application.

BREADTH OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the 'Breadth' portion of this study is the investigation of the social forces in society that direct changes with the individual, group and organizational levels. More specifically this study will draw from the opinions of the theorists to help look at how the work place environment affects the employee, his or her family, and the community. Important learning objectives for the Breadth component are to compare and contrast current and past theories of societal development of Marx (1818-1883), Durkheim (1858-1916), Weber (1864-1920), and Spencer (1820-1920).

B. DEPTH OBJECTIVES

Information gathered from articles that offer current research about societal change will reveal useful ideas that will lead to positive continual change. Research findings will help organizations learn to develop more effective employee programs that will in turn affect families positively at home. Positive relations at home will influence communities by the same outflow process. An example of an outflow process would be to influence individuals that the family members come in contact with in a manner in which, whether positive or negative results maybe influential. In some cases if the family is experiencing a dysfunctional family system, this negative influence may or may not flow outwardly from the home, into the community. The primary learning objectives for the Depth component are to: (1) Analyze, compare, and contrast current point-of-views on the organizational cause and effect of social change; and (2) Make a tentative discernment of the ideas by evaluation to improve the quality of employee management

C. APPLICATION OBJECTIVES

The concluding part of the KAM will employ the opinions of original theorists with respect to societal development. Data collected from the peer-reviewed resources will conjoin with the Depth and Breadth components. Information examined from leading theorists and current information, from peer-reviewed sources will be analyzed in order, to execute the application findings from military employees. Learning objectives for the application: (1) gather data for comparison and contrast with past and current research theories to determine possible solutions to work-related stressors that, affect employees and their families and extended communities; (2) Analyze data collected by survey and observation to add to archived information that will solve work-related stressors that affect employees, their families and extended communities; and (3) Evaluate measurement or statistics to produce useful effects for the societal development framework within institutions and learn about its change throughout history. Use the results to find solutions to employee problems in the institution observed.

SIGNIFICANCE of the STUDY

The significance of this study is the knowledge that will be added to the already existing knowledge base in this area of study through discovering information related to work place stress and its effects on the family unit and community and through comparison of known theories that relate to work place stress and through evaluation of how this trend could affect the family balance through observing the older and more culturally and ethnically diverse female employees and their niche in the workforce including the military schedule and its effect on this working population and finally through analysis of the quality of lifestyle of the military families that live in government housing and the difference in family quality of those who live in civilian housing and how this is affected by military life.

STUDY DESIGN

. Children and spouses left alone will need to draw on the community for support along with military family programs. Applying theory, current research and observation of these families affected by the military work schedule will provide positive information to the data banks. Along with the data gathered about work place stress, additional current knowledge about work stress researched will specify problematic evidence from collected information. This information will reveal important findings that connect the work place with the domestic life. A comparison of the transitory effect of working and returning home each day, week, or month will become clearer. The Breath component brings together the studies of the four listed theorists, which have had an impact on past and current societal development. The theories discussed will ground the foundation for the research and development of the depth section. The Depth section compares and contrasts current research about work stress and the impact it plays on the family and community. Current research information will be analyzed, and evaluated, how work and home life are affected by factors that contribute problematic transitions. The Application area will apply understanding and knowledge to the hands-on execution of collecting information to add to the current database of information to help change society. This will also help provide other effective ways of managing, workplace stress. The information obtained and assimilated into the knowledge bank will generate a more positive environment for military families and the community.

INTRODUCTION

Today's military is increasing diverse placing greater demands on mental health care services and assistance to military members and their families. The work of Johnson et al. (2007) notes that the demographics of the U.S. military have undergone significant changes in that that U.S. military has "made great strides in increasing diversity throughout its ranks. Today there are approximately three million Americans serving their country in uniform, representing the Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Marines, Reserves and National Guard. Over one-fourth of those serving on active duty today are members of an ethnic minority. Approximately a quarter of a million of our active duty troops, reservists, and National Guard members are either preparing to deploy or are deployed, and three out of every five of these deployed service members have family responsibilities (i.e. spouse and/or children). In addition, women now make up 16% of this all voluntary military force and are assigned to 90% of all military job categories." (Johnson et al., 2007) in previous years Johnson et al. (2007) relates that approximately 450 active duly licensed clinical psychologists served the U.S. In uniform however, presently this number is less than 350, which is a 22% decrease "and the rate of attrition continues at an alarming pace." (Johnson, et al., 2007)

Research is limited in this area and few studies exist however, one of these studies is that conducted and reported by Charles Hoge, MD and colleagues, Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences reporting three "seminal studies" which are as follows:

(1) Hoge, Castro, Messer, McGurk, Cotting, and Koffman (2004) -- this study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine and had as its focus members of four combat infantry units in which anonymous surveys were administered before being deployed to Iraq (2,530) and three to four months after returning from Iraq or Afghanistan (3,671). Johnson et al. (2007) state: "Command leaders held meetings at which the researchers solicited participation; methods used to ensure anonymity were explained to potential subjects. In all, 58% of the soldiers and Marines from the designated units attended the recruitment meetings. Among those who attended the meeting, 98% participated in the study. Mental health functioning was assessed using standardized screening questions targeting diagnostic criteria for major depression, generalized anxiety (Patient Health Questionnaire, Spitzer, et al., 1999), and PTSD (National Center for PTSD Checklist, Weathers et al., 1993). In addition, subjects were asked about their level of stress and emotional problems, use of alcohol, family problems, interest in receiving mental health care, past use of mental health care, and perceptions about barriers to accessing mental health care." (Johnson, et al., 2007)

(2) Hoge, Auchterlonie & Milliken (2006) -- This study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in March 2006 as is stated to have been a "descriptive study of all Army Soldiers and Marines "…who had completed a Post-Deployment Health Assessment (PDHA) from May 1, 2003 until April 30, 2004. In all, 303,905 subjects completed the survey after returning from deployment during this time, including 16,318 from Afghanistan, 222,620 from Iraq and 64,967 from other locations. All subjects were followed up via the Defense Medical Surveillance System (DMSS) database for one year after deployment. The DMSS is an integrated public health database that includes demographics, information about military careers (e.g., rank, occupation, dates of entry and separation, and deployment history), and data on health care visits within the Military Health System." (Johnson, et al., 2007)

(3) Grieger, Cozza, Ursano, Hoge, Martinez, Engel, & Wain (2006) -- This study was… READ MORE

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