Social support over time for men and women veterans with and without complex trauma histories.

Abstract

Social support is closely linked to health, but little is known about United States (U.S.) veterans' social support over time and factors that may influence their support trajectories. This study investigates social support over time for U.S. men and women Post-9/11 veterans in relation to trauma history and gender. A secondary analysis of longitudinal cohort data from the Survey of Experiences of Returning Veterans (SERV), which employed a repeated-measures longitudinal design using five waves of data (baseline, 3, 6, 9, 12 months) with 672 combat veterans. Results from random intercept multilevel models found no significant gender differences in social support over time. Veterans with complex trauma histories were at risk for lower social support across waves. A stability trend was also observed; specifically, at baseline, veterans who started with high support maintained their level over time whereas veterans who started with deficits in social support remained low over time. Veterans identifying as African American or Latinx, and those with lower annual incomes, reported lower support compared to White and higher-income veterans. Furthermore, low social support was significantly associated with severe posttraumatic stress symptoms and active suicidal ideation across 12 months. SERV utilized a nonrandom sampling method that may reduce generalizability of findings. There is also potential for residual confounding by factors related to both social support levels and time since discharge that were not available in this data set. Findings have implications for developing clinical and community interventions intended to support veterans as they transition back to the community. Impact StatementIn a study of 673 Post-9/11 veterans' patterns of social support over 1 year, those with high support retained it and those starting at a deficit remained at low levels. Findings may aid in development of interventions to increase social support early to help veterans move into the high support category so that they may maintain social support during and beyond their transition into civilian communities.

The mediating role of social support in associations between childhood adversity, military sexual trauma, and homelessness in a nationally representative sample of US veterans

“…Social support is a multifaceted construct, widely recognized as a predictor of physical, mental, and social well‐being (Benda, 2006; Hale Ma et al, 2005; Hwang et al, 2009; Taylor, 2018; VandenBos, 2015) and having remarkable stability over time (Scoglio et al, 2023). Social support may include any persons or settings in one's community that provide comfort or assistance, including informal networks, such as interpersonal relationships and community connection, and formal networks, such as places of worship, educational institutions, and other community agencies (Benda, 2006; Herrenkohl et al, 2016; Hwang et al, 2009; Taylor, 2018; VandenBos, 2015).…”

Modelo explicativo de riesgo suicida en estudiantes universitarios de Lima Metropolitana

“…ISSN (Digital): 2223-7666 Liberabit, 2024, 30(1), e743 (enero -junio) En relación con el apoyo social percibido (ASP), se conceptualiza como la disponibilidad de recursos y conexiones sociales que presenta una persona (Scoglio et al, 2023); además, se caracteriza por el apoyo emocional (cuidado e intimidad), informativo (orientación) e instrumental (ayuda directa y servicios) que proviene de fuentes significativas (familia o amigos) y le brindan seguridad al individuo (Scardera et al, 2020). De igual manera, permite mitigar los efectos negativos de las situaciones adversas, potencia los recursos de afrontamiento (Zhao & Wang, 2023) y tiende a relacionarse con el bienestar psicológico (Zarate et al, 2022).…”

Perceived social support moderates the relations between mental health symptoms and current suicidal ideation.

“…For example, received and/or perceived social support from specific sources, such as veteran friends, may be particularly important for veterans given shared experiences and traumas that nonveterans may have a harder time relating to (e.g., combat, military sexual trauma). Among veterans who served after post-9/11, Scoglio et al (2023) found that across a 12-month period, social support (i.e., emotional sustenance and instrumental assistance) was significantly associated with the severity of posttraumatic symptoms and SI. Of note, as Scoglio et al (2023) did not identify gender as a significant predictor of postmilitary social support, it was not included in their multivariate regression models.…”

“…Among veterans who served after post-9/11, Scoglio et al (2023) found that across a 12-month period, social support (i.e., emotional sustenance and instrumental assistance) was significantly associated with the severity of posttraumatic symptoms and SI. Of note, as Scoglio et al (2023) did not identify gender as a significant predictor of postmilitary social support, it was not included in their multivariate regression models. Conversely, in another study of Gulf War I era veterans, Vogt et al (2005) found that perceived unit social support during deployment was more protective against mental health consequences for women than men veterans.…”