Research Catalog

Title

Evaluation of the Operational Stress Control and Readiness (OSCAR) Program / Christine Anne Vaughan, Carrie M. Farmer, Joshua Breslau, Crystal Burnette.

Author

Vaughan, Christine Anne

Publication

Santa Monica, Calif. : RAND Corporation, National Defense Research Institute, [2015]

Supplementary Content

http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research%5Freports/RR500/RR562/RAND%5FRR562.pdf

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

• Farmer, Carrie M.
• Breslau, Joshua
• Burnette, Crystal
• National Defense Research Institute (U.S.), issuing body.

Description

xx, 130 pages : illustrations; 28 cm

Summary

He Marine Corps Operational Stress Control and Readiness (OSCAR) program embeds mental health personnel within Marine Corps units and extends their reach by training officers and noncommissioned officers to recognize Marines showing signs of stress and intervene early. RAND Corporation researchers conducted an outcome evaluation of the OSCAR program that included four components: (1) a quasi-experimental study that compared Marines in OSCAR-trained and non-OSCAR-trained battalions on a wide array of stress-related outcomes before and after deployment, (2) a longitudinal pre- and postdeployment survey of perceptions of OSCAR among Marines who attended OSCAR training, (3) focus groups with Marines, and (4) semistructured interviews with commanding officers of battalions that had received OSCAR training. Results indicated that, after the authors adjust for a wide array of baseline characteristics and deployment experiences, Marines in OSCAR-trained battalions were more likely than those in non-OSCAR-trained battalions to report having sought help with stress problems from a peer, leader, or corpsman - behavior that is consistent with OSCAR goals. In addition, Marines considered OSCAR a valuable tool for enhancing combat and operational stress response and recovery efforts in the Marine Corps. However, this evaluation did not find evidence that OSCAR affected the key mental health outcomes it was designed to address. Thus, the results of this evaluation do not support the continuation of OSCAR in its current form. Based on lessons learned about OSCAR from this evaluation, other research, and best practices for program improvement and implementation, recommendations for improving combat and operational stress training in the Marine Corps are offered.

Uniform Title

Research report (Rand Corporation) ; RR-562-OSD.

Subject

• United States. Marine Corps > Mental health services > Evaluation
• United States. Marine Corps > Personnel management
• Marines > Mental health services > Evaluation. > United States
• Marines > United States > Psychology
• Soldiers > Mental health > United States
• Psychology, Military > Evaluation
• Operational psychology > Evaluation
• Deployment (Strategy) > Psychological aspects
• Stress management > United States
• Social surveys > United States

Note

• "RR-562-OSD"--Page 4 of cover.
• "National Defense Research Institute."
• "Prepared for the Office of the Secretary of Defense"--Title page.

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references (pages 127-130).

Call Number

JFF 17-564

ISBN

• 9780833090164 (pbk. : alk. paper)
• 083309016X (pbk. : alk. paper)

LCCN

2015939203

OCLC

907966115

Author

Vaughan, Christine Anne, author.

Title

Evaluation of the Operational Stress Control and Readiness (OSCAR) Program / Christine Anne Vaughan, Carrie M. Farmer, Joshua Breslau, Crystal Burnette.

Publisher

Santa Monica, Calif. : RAND Corporation, National Defense Research Institute, [2015]

Type of Content

text

Type of Medium

unmediated

Type of Carrier

volume

Series

Research report (Rand Corporation) ; RR-562-OSD.

Bibliography

Includes bibliographical references (pages 127-130).

Connect to:

http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research%5Freports/RR500/RR562/RAND%5FRR562.pdf

http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR562.html

Added Author

Farmer, Carrie M., author.

Breslau, Joshua, author.

Burnette, Crystal, author.

National Defense Research Institute (U.S.), issuing body.

Research Call Number

JFF 17-564