Factors associated with depression on a hospital ship deployed during the Persian Gulf War

Investigators surveyed health care providers (N = 250) deployed to the Pers ian Gulf on the USNS Comfort hospital ship days before the beginning of the Persian Gulf War in 1990, In this article, we identify factors associated with the development of depression during deployment. Age, gender, negative life events, stress from trauma-related work demands, and occupational exp erience with the dying and the dead were significant predictors of depressi on. Military training, although not associated with the experience of depre ssion, was negatively correlated with concern about injury.