Impacts of a Psychosocial Intervention Program in support of adaptation on Canadian Armed Forces military members posted to Europe

Dave Blackburn

Abstract

The Canadian Armed Forces deploy soldiers and members of their families beyond Canada’s borders. In military circles, such deployments are called “OUTCAN postings”. In winter 2010, a Preventive Action Program for CAF Military Members Posted to Europe (PAPCAFE) was developed from two studies conducted in autumn 2009 and winter 2010, with the goal of identifying factors contributing to early repatriation and determining the psychosocial dynamics in play during the first six months of a posting on European soil. The PAPCFE seeks to complete the psychosocial preparation for the transition from Canada to Europe, and in the medium term cut down on early repatriations. In this study, we conducted two types of program evaluation simultaneously, using a combination of several methods.