Main and Interactive Effects of Social Support in Predicting Mental Health Symptoms in Men and Women Following Military Stressor Exposure

Survey data of Marine recruits were used to examine the role of social support (from both within and outside of the military unit) in predicting mental health symptoms in the context of exposure to military stressors. Military social support acted as a buffer between the stressfulness of the training experience and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Military social support was associated with lower levels of mental health symptoms among men, while civilian social support was related to lower symptoms among women.