Publication year
2013
Citation Title
Main and interactive effects of social support in predicting mental health symptoms in men and women following military stressor exposure.
Journal Name
Anxiety, Stress, & Coping
Journal Volume
26
Issue Number
1
Page Numbers
52-69
DOI
10.1080/10615806.2011.634001
Summary
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.
Key Findings
Social support was a significant moderator of the relationship between the stressfulness of recruit training and mental health symptoms; specifically, social support from the military acted as a buffer, weakening the association between the stressfulness of the training and posttraumatic stress symptoms.
As perceived stressfulness increased, military social support became more important for the recruits.
Significant gender differences emerged; for men, military social support, but not civilian, was directly associated with lower levels of posttraumatic stress symptoms, whereas for women, civilian social support, but not military support, was directly associated with lower posttraumatic stress symptoms.
Implications for Program Leaders
Offer support groups to military recruits, as this may help minimize psychological difficulties in response to stressors, especially for men
Educate military recruits about the importance of military and non-military support
Provide Service members with opportunities to engage in family events that are open to extended family and friends as a way to increase social support
Implications for Policy Makers
Encourage recruits to access their support networks to reduce mental health symptoms during training
Recommend the development and evaluation of programs intended to strengthen unit support
Support programs that offer mental health services to recruits during training
Methods
The data were collected as part of a larger study of Marines who arrived at Parris Island, South Carolina, for recruit training.
Those who completed recruit training were eligible to participate; they completed a survey at the beginning of the 13-week military training and a survey two days before completing training.
Both surveys were administered via paper and pencil; 95% completed the post-survey.
Participants
One thousand fifty seventy-one Marine recruits (57% male) participated in and completed the study.
The average average age of recruits was 18.8 years (SD = 1.92 years, range = 17-34 years).
Participant ethnicity included 59% White, 19% Black, 14% Latino/Latina.
Limitations
The data was all self-report, and the nature of the study was correlational which limits the ability to imply causation.
The military stressors studied were recruit training; these relationships may not generalize to other military stressors.
Personality factors were not included in these analyses; these results could be partly due to recruits’ personality style.
Avenues for Future Research
Examine whether the intense recruit training environment overrode civilian social support
Examine the benefits and the drawbacks of additional kinds of support in the context of stressor exposure
Test whether these results generalize to a larger military population
Focus
Marines
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
Evidence across a multitude of contexts indicates that social support is associated with reduced risk for mental health symptoms. More information is needed on the effectiveness of different sources of support, as well as sex differences in support. Associations between social support from two sources – the military unit and friends and family – and mental health symptoms were examined in a study of 1,571 Marine recruits assessed at the beginning and end of a highly stressful 13-week training program. Military social support buffered the stressor exposure–posttraumatic stress symptomatology (PTSS) relationship, whereas the relationship between stressor exposure and PTSS was highest when civilian social support was high. Further inspection of the interactions revealed that military support was most important at high levels of stressor exposure. Sex differences in the relationship between social support and symptoms were found, such that support from military peers was associated with lower levels of PTSS for men, whereas civilian support was associated with lower PTSS for women. While civilian social support was associated with lower levels of depression symptom severity in both women and men, the relationship was stronger for women. Reviewed implications focus on the importance of considering the recipient, source, and context of social support.
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