The Enriched Life Scale (ELS): Development, exploratory factor analysis, and preliminary construct validity for U.S. military veteran and civilian samples

Angel, Caroline M.; Woldetsadik, Mahlet Atakilt; Armstrong, Nicholas J.; Young, Brandon B.; Linsner, Rachel K.; Maury, Rosalinda V.; Pinter, John M.

doi:10.1093/tbm/iby109

Cited by 8 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 64 publications

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“…The key model fit statistics for the one-factor, four-factor, and five-factor models are shown in Table 2. Consistent with the findings of our EFA (Angel et al, 2018b), the five-factor model resulted in being the best fit. Residual correlations between items within the same construct were added iteratively to the five-factor model based on modification indices to improve model fit (Kline, 1998).…”

Section: Methodssupporting

confidence: 88%

“…We removed 800 participants from the analysis who reported that they were members of Team RWB and 78 participants who did not indicate whether they were members or not. This procedure was used in order to isolate the confirmatory factor analysis to non-Team RWB members, whom we hypothesized, may have already received life-enriching activities, based upon their exposure to Team RWB activities at the time of recruitment for the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) study (Angel et al, 2018b). Since the EFA was conducted on a sample of Team RWB members, the CFA was limited to non-Team RWB members in order to avoid overly optimistic model fit.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For the confirmatory factor analysis of the ELS, three models were estimated via maximum likelihood estimation with robust Huber-White standard errors (MLR) (Li, 2018), as the assumptions for standard maximum likelihood estimation (i.e., multivariate normality) were not met. Based upon the findings of the EFA (Angel et al, 2018b), a one-factor model, where all 40-items of the ELS were arranged within one latent factor, was estimated first. We then tested a four-factor model, where “sense of purpose” and “engaged citizenship” were collapsed.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, Team RWB veteran thought leaders and social scientists spent three years (2014–2017) developing the ELS (Team Red White Blue, 2017), which was finalized as a 40-item instrument in 2017 (Team Red White Blue, 2017; Angel et al, 2018b). The need for an instrument with valid and reliable psychometric purposes was driven by Team RWB’s desire to be accountable and transparent to key stakeholders (members, funders, supporters) in their articulation and measurement of the impact of their programs in achieving their stated mission.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Preliminary psychometric properties were established for the 40-item ELS in a sample of 1,187 military veterans and 598 civilians, all members of Team RWB (Angel et al, 2018b). The theoretical model of an “enriched life” was mostly validated, with the exception that the hypothesized construct, “emotional health” did not emerge as a stand-alone construct.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Enriched Life Scale Among US Military Veterans

et al. 2019

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The Enriched Life Scale (ELS) is a 40-item measure developed by the military veteran service organization, Team Red, White & Blue (RWB), to systematically capture and quantify the lived experiences of military veterans transitioning to civilian life. As Team RWB’s mission is to “enrich veterans’ lives,” veterans who conceived of and co-developed the ELS as a psychometric instrument defined what an “enriched life” would entail. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) of the ELS revealed a five-factor structure capturing the domains of: physical health, mental health, genuine relationships, sense of purpose, and engaged citizenship. The goal of the current study was to use confirmatory factor analysis to validate the factor structure of the ELS in a sample of veterans not affiliated with Team RWB. We also sought to explore convergent validity with the Military to Civilian Questionnaire, a measure of military to civilian reintegration challenges. Five hundred and twenty-nine veterans participated in the study. We estimated three models, one-factor, four-factor, and five-factor model via maximum likelihood estimation with robust Huber-White standard errors. The five-factor model showed the best fit to the data (RMSEA = 0.05, CFI = 0.90, TLI = 0.90, SRMR = 0.06). Additionally, the five-factor model demonstrated convergent and discriminant validity, as well as internal consistency reliability (genuine relationships, α = 0.90; sense of purpose, α = 0.93; engaged citizenship, α = 0.89; mental health, α = 0.88; and physical health, α = 0.78). Overall, the ELS is a valid and reliable measure of veteran enrichment and could potentially be used in conjunction with diagnostic instruments that capture strain-related transition challenges (to include mental health disorders) to capture post-military service wellbeing.

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Section: Methodssupporting

confidence: 88%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Enriched Life Scale Among US Military Veterans

et al. 2019

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Differences in functional and structural social support among female and male veterans and civilians

Campbell

Gray

Hoerster

et al. 2020

Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol

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Exploring how positive and negative social exchanges relate to posttraumatic stress disorder severity among previously deployed men service members/veterans.

Blais¹,

Zalta²

2023

Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy

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Objective: Research in civilians and women shows negative social support is more deleterious for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms than are the buffering effects of positive social support. However, this is understudied in male military samples. Moreover, appraisals of social support appear to be the mechanism of the association of social support type and PTSD severity, but appraisals as mediators have not been explored in military samples. Method: Previously deployed male service members/veterans (SM/Vs; n = 333) completed a demographic inventory, the Positive and Negative Social Exchange Scale, which assesses positive and negative social support and their appraisals, and the PTSD Checklist-5. Path analyses examined associations of positive and negative social support with PTSD severity and whether appraisals mediated these associations. Results: The magnitude of the association of negative social support and PTSD symptom severity (standardized estimate = .33; SE = .06, p , .001) was statistically greater than the association of positive social support and PTSD symptom severity (standardized estimate = À.26; SE = .06, p , .001). Higher positive support was associated with higher appraisals, and in turn, higher appraisals were associated with lower PTSD severity, suggesting mediation. In contrast, the association of negative social support with PTSD was direct. Conclusion: Causality cannot be inferred. Positive support exhibits a weaker relationship with PTSD because its effect is dependent on how an individual appraises the support whereas negative support has a direct relationship with PTSD regardless of appraisals. Findings suggest positive support interventions should focus on individual perceptions whereas negative support interventions should focus on decreasing how often these interactions occur. Clinical Impact StatementOur study showed that for previously deployed male service members/veterans (SM/Vs), negative social support had a stronger relationship with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms than positive social support. Moreover, positive social support was only related to PTSD symptoms when SM/Vs had positive appraisals of the support whereas negative social support had a direct relationship with PTSD symptoms that was not mediated by appraisals. Though we cannot determine causality, our findings suggest that positive support interventions should focus on individual perceptions whereas negative support interventions should focus on decreasing how often these interactions occur.

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The Enriched Life Scale (ELS): Development, exploratory factor analysis, and preliminary construct validity for U.S. military veteran and civilian samples

Cited by 8 publications

References 64 publications

Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Enriched Life Scale Among US Military Veterans

Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Enriched Life Scale Among US Military Veterans

Differences in functional and structural social support among female and male veterans and civilians

Exploring how positive and negative social exchanges relate to posttraumatic stress disorder severity among previously deployed men service members/veterans.

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