The transition to civilian life following separation from military service is associated with increased risk of mental health disorders, suicide, and poor adjustment. No measure currently enables pre-separation screening to assess mental readiness for transition and identify members most at risk of poor outcomes. The Mental Readiness for Military Transition Scale was developed to identify psychosocial factors predictive of post-separation psychological adjustment and mental health. This presentation will outline results of a large-scale trial including the development, psychometric properties and evidence of predictive validity of the Mental Readiness for Military Transition Scale. It will also outline the three key individual-level factors found to be predictive of post Defence separation outcomes such as adjustment and reintegration to civilian life, symptoms of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, depression, anxiety, and quality of life. Finally, this presentation will describe the clinical application of the measure among transitioning Defence members including administration, scoring and interpretation guidelines. Due to the predictive capability and ease of application, the Mental Readiness for Military Transition Scale carries considerable potential to assist prevention of poor post-separation outcomes among military personnel.

Presentation Key Learnings:
1. Identify the three key individual-level factors to assess in determining mental readiness for transition out of Defence service.

2. Understand the validity and psychometric properties of the Mental Readiness for Military Transition Scale.

3. Understand how to administer, score, and interpret results of the Mental Readiness for Military Transition Scale.