Publication year
2015
Citation Title
The role of natural support systems in the post-deployment adjustment of active duty military personnel.
Journal Name
American Journal of Community Psychology
Journal Volume
56
Issue Number
2-Jan
Page Numbers
69-78
DOI
10.1007/s10464-015-9726-y
Summary
Researchers explored relationships between negative deployment experiences, naturally occurring social support (i.e. romantic partners, friends and neighbors, and unit leaders), and post-deployment adjustment in Active Duty Air Force personnel. Overall, higher levels of social support was associated with better outcomes regardless of negative deployment experiences.
Key Findings
Support from spouses or significant others was less strongly related to mission readiness than leadership support.
Support from neighbors was less important than either support from romantic partners or leaders for depressive symptoms and Air Force satisfaction.
All three support types were associated with satisfaction with military life, and mission readiness.
Military personnel who perceived high levels of deployment-related stressors were less likely to experience depression if they perceived high levels of support from spouses or significant others, unit leadership, and neighbors.
Implications for Program Leaders
Develop programs that maximize the benefits of naturally occurring support systems
Support unit leaders and installation support personnel in providing resources and education to spouses, significant others, and neighbors to strengthen the support offered to military personnel returning from deployment
Promote programs where unit leaders mobilize alternative social support for those who do not have these critical social support systems
Implications for Policy Makers
Extend and support policies that include critical social support systems of Active Duty military personnel
Encourage awareness campaigns among Service members’ spouses, significant others, and neighbors about post-deployment support
Support programming for military personnel critical social support groups
Methods
Data were drawn from a subset of 22,150 Active Duty Air Force personnel who responded to the 2011 Air Force Community Assessment project.
Eligibility criteria included Active Duty personnel who had been deployed and were married or in a committed romantic relationship.
Survey administered to Service members had seven separate scales that measured depressive symptoms, Air Force satisfaction, perceived mission readiness, negative deployment experience, spouse/ significant other support, leadership support, and neighbor support.
Participants
Out of the 22,150 participants, 86.4% were men, their median age was 28 years.
Participants had an average of 13.5 years of military service.
No other demographic information (e.g., race/ethnicity) was provided.
Limitations
The sample was limited to Active Duty Air Force personnel; therefore, not representative of the entire military population.
Some of the support, deployment and well-being variables could potentially impact each other in transactional ways that are impossible to detect with cross-sectional data.
Study used cross-sectional data; therefore, unable to explore the pathways of these relationships.
Avenues for Future Research
Identify gaps in post-deployment resources and education to spouses, significant others, and neighbors
Examine the usefulness of military personnel self-help support groups that offer unit-specific discussion platforms post-deployment
Explore other naturally occurring social support, such as best friends or extended family in promoting well-being of Service members
Focus
Air Force
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
This study examined the relations among three different types of naturally occurring social support (from romantic partners, friends and neighbors, and unit leaders) and three indices of Service member well-being (self reports of depressive symptoms, satisfaction with military life, and perceptions of unit readiness) for Service members who did and did not report negative experiences associated with military deployment. Data were drawn from the 2011 Community Assessment completed anonymously by more than 63,000 USAF personnel. Regression analyses revealed that higher levels of social support was associated with better outcomes regardless of negative deployment experiences. Evidence of moderation was also noted, with all forms of social support moderating the impact of negative deployment experiences on depressive symptoms and support from unit leaders moderating the impact of negative deployment experience on satisfaction with military life. No moderation was found for perceptions of unit readiness. Subgroup analyses revealed slightly different patterns for male and female Service members, with support providing fewer moderation effects for women. These findings may have value for military leaders and mental health professionals working to harness the power of naturally occurring relationships to maximize the positive adjustment of Service members and their families. Implications for practices related to re-integration of postdeployment military personnel are discussed.
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