Veterans who experienced the combination of low depression, high social support and high psychological resilience as they left military service were most likely to report high well-being a year later.<\/p>\n
Neither demographic and military characteristics nor trauma history emerged as strong predictors of veterans\u2019 well-being when considered in the context of other factors. Although most predictors were similar for women and men, depression was a stronger predictor of women\u2019s well-being.<\/p>\n
Every year, more than 200,000 U.S. service members transition out of the military. Although most military veterans can be expected to successfully navigate this transition, a substantial number of individuals struggle to adapt to post-military life.<\/p>\n
In an effort to identify the combination of background factors that best predict U.S. military veterans\u2019 post-military well-being the researchers sampled more than 7,100 veterans.<\/p>\n
Neither demographic and military characteristics nor traumatic life experiences emerged as important predictors of veterans\u2019 well-being in the context of other factors, suggesting that their impact on veterans\u2019 well-being is likely carried through other factors addressed in the study. Instead, researchers found that those who reported the combination of high depression, low social support, and low psychological resilience shortly as they leave service were the most likely to report poor well-being a year later.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese findings support the value of screening for these risk factors and intervening with veterans who report this combination of factors at the time they leave military service to reduce veterans\u2019 risk of poor post-military well-being,\u201d explained corresponding author Dawne S. Vogt, PhD, research scientist in the Women\u2019s Health Sciences Division, National Center for PTSD at VA Boston Healthcare System and professor of psychiatry at BUSM.<\/p>\n
Although prior research has examined the role that depression, social support and psychological resilience play in U.S. veterans\u2019 post-military mental health and functioning, this study provides new insight into how these factors work together to impact veterans\u2019 well-being. \u201cThe fact that the worst well-being was reported by veterans with high depression and low social support underscores the particularly important role that the combination of these two factors are likely to play in veterans\u2019 post-military well-being. Moreover, the finding that higher psychological resilience moderated the impact of depression on veterans\u2019 well-being suggests that those individuals who are most resilient may be better able to cope with depression when it is experienced,\u201d added Dr. Vogt.<\/p>\n