Air Force mental health consultation: a six-year retention follow-up.

Follow-up data were collected 68 months after Air Force basic trainees were screened at a mental hygiene clinic. Trainees were given the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI) inventory and a clinical interview-recommended disposition. This process resulted in recommendations of immediate discharge for 65 trainees, administrative separation for 52, and return to duty for 48. None of the immediate discharge group served 4 years or more, only 5 of the administrative separation group did so, and 18 of the return to duty group did so. The passive-aggressive, anxiety, and dysthymia scales from the MCMI best differentiated between early discharges and those completing enlistments. Clinical judgment was of limited value in the recommendation of continued service and the trainees' simple referral for consultation was most powerful.