Psychiatric treatment and operational readiness: Clinical guidelines for air force practice

Clinical criteria for psychiatric illnesses that are career limiting to active duty Air Force personnel are defined in Air Force Instruction (AFI) 48-123. The terms used in the AFI are not sufficiently specific to the standards of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). The authors review AFI 48-123 for conditions commonly seen in Air Force mental health practice and offer clinical interpretation of this AFI to bring it into line with DSM-IV. As a result of this synthesis, decisions regarding which mental health conditions warrant medical evaluation board disposition are clearer and more uniform. Clinicians and administrators are encouraged to refer to this paper for assistance in making decisions on mental health patients.