The effects of mental health symptoms and organizational climate on intent to leave the military among combat veterans.

Frequent deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan have placed a strain on military retention. There is a need to determine contributing factors predicting intent to leave the military. The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent soldiers' mental health symptoms and perceptions of organizational climate are associated with intent to leave the military. Participants (n = 892) were soldiers of one infantry brigade combat team stationed in the United States, anonymously surveyed approximately 6 months after returning from a combat deployment to Iraq. The survey assessed overall deployment experiences, mental health symptoms, and perceptions of organizational climate. Results showed that soldiers reporting higher perceived organizational support were significantly less likely to report intent to leave and those screening positive for anxiety were significantly more likely to report intent to leave than those not screening positive. Implications of these results for Army clinicians and career counselors are discussed.