Army STARRS and STARRS-LS Research Instruments (Questionnaires)

Information about the research instruments used in the three largest studies within Army STARRS (the All Army Study, the New Soldier Study and the Pre/Post Deployment Study) and used in STARRS-LS, as well as links to copies of the instruments, are available below.

Public use datasets of Army STARRS and STARRS-LS survey data are available through the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) at the University of Michigan. ICPSR can currently provide data from three Army STARRS surveys: the All Army Study (AAS), the New Soldier Study (NSS), and the Pre/Post Deployment Study (PPDS). In addition, ICPSR can currently provide data from waves 1, 2, and 3 of STARRS-LS.

A number of different versions of the instruments, with slight differences in questions, were used for data collection. The other versions of the instruments are available through the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) at the University of Michigan. Go to our DATA page for a link to ICPSR.

Army STARRS All Army Study Instrument

The Army STARRS research team developed a computer-based version and a paper and pencil version of the All Army Study (AAS) instrument. The research team administered the instrument to a sample of Soldiers across the entire Army inside and outside the United States. The research team administered the computer-based version to Soldiers at most installations inside the continental United States (CONUS). At CONUS installations where it was not feasible to use the computer-assisted version, and at installations outside the continental United States (OCONUS), the research team administered the paper and pencil version. Both versions were administered in group settings. The instrument included questions about demographics, general health, mental health, substance abuse, suicide, help-seeking, perceptions of unit, relationships, and personality characteristics.

Army STARRS New Soldier Study Instruments

The Army STARRS research team developed and administered two instruments (Part A and Part B) for the New Soldier Study (NSS). The instruments were computer-based and administered in group settings to a sample of new Soldiers over two sessions, separated by a day, during their first week in the Army. The first instrument (Part A) included questions about demographics, physical health, mental health, stressful experiences, and help-seeking. The second instrument (Part B) included questions about physical Injury, substance abuse, suicide, mental health, family mental health history.

Army STARRS Pre/Post Deployment Study Instruments

The Army STARRS research team developed four instruments for the Pre/Post Deployment Study (PPDS). The PPDS was a four-wave longitudinal study designed to follow deploying Soldiers over time to assess the effects of deployment. PPDS involved three Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs) at JBLM, Ft. Bragg and Ft. Carson about to be deployed to Afghanistan. PPDS included questionnaire administration at four different time-points (one pre-deployment and three post-deployment).

The four data collection time-points for PPDS were:

  1. Pre-deployment Time 0 (T0) at ~2-3 weeks before deployment.
  2. Post-deployment Time 1 (T1) at ~2-3 weeks following redeployment.
  3. Post-deployment Time 2 (T2) at ~2-3 months following redeployment.
  4. Post-deployment Time 3 (T3) at ~8-9 months following redeployment.

STARRS-LS Instruments

STARRS-LS is a four-wave longitudinal study designed to follow a cohort of Soldiers who participated in the three largest studies within Army STARRS (the All Army Study, the New Soldier Study and the Pre/Post Deployment Study). Under STARRS-LS, four waves of questionnaires are being administered from 2016 to 2025 to allow continued follow-up of Soldiers during their careers in the Army as well as during their transition from the Army back to civilian life, for those who leave the Army.

STARRS-LS data collection for Waves 1, 2, and 3 have ended. Public use datasets for these three waves of STARRS-LS data are available at ICPSR.

Wave 4 of STARRS-LS is currently being administered. STARRS-LS Wave 4 data will become available after data collection ends

Links to copies of the Army STARRS and STARRS-LS Instruments: The following links will take you to the research instruments.

STARRS-LS Principal Investigators

Co-Principal Investigators

Robert Ursano, MD (Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences)
Murray Stein, MD, MPH (University of California, San Diego)

Site Principal Investigators

James Wagner, PhD (University of Michigan)

Ronald C. Kessler, PhD (Harvard Medical School)