Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-r5fsc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T04:58:23.507Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Trauma, Social Support, and Mental Health Outcomes in a Community Sample of New Zealand Military Veterans

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 February 2012

Stephen Redwood ,
Fiona Alpass ,
Nigel Long ,
Nancy Pachana  and
Judy Blakey
Stephen Redwood
Affiliation:
Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
Fiona Alpass*
Affiliation:
Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
Nigel Long
Affiliation:
Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
Nancy Pachana
Affiliation:
University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Judy Blakey
Affiliation:
Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
*
Dr. Fiona Alpass, School of Psychology, Massey University, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North, New Zealand. E-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

The relationship between social support, mental health, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology was investigated in a sample of 229 former New Zealand military personnel. It was hypothesised that veterans reporting greater satisfaction with their social support networks would also report better mental health and lower levels of PTSD symptomatology, and that social support would buffer the relationship between trauma and PTSD. The number of social supports was expected to be unrelated to both PTSD and mental health. Among the subsample of combat veterans (N = 166), results from multiple regression analyses revealed that satisfaction with social support was significantly related to PTSD severity but unrelated to general mental health. The moderating model of social support on the relationship between trauma and PTSD was not supported in hierarchical regression analysis in the total sample (N = 229). Methodological limitations and other explanations for these results are discussed.

Type
Articles
Information
The Australian Journal of Rehabilitation Counselling , Volume 10 , Issue 2 , January 2004 , pp. 102 - 116
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2004

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alpass, F.M., Long, N., Pachana, N., & Blakey, J. (2003). Optimising use of hearing aid devices in older service personnel. Palmerston North, New Zealand: Massey University.Google Scholar
American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.Google Scholar
Baron, R.M., & Kenny, D.A. (1986). The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51, 1173–1182.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Benotsch, E.G., Brailey, K., Vasterling, J.J., Uddo, M., Constans, I., & Sutker, P.B. (2000). War zone stress, personal and environmental resources, and PTSD symptoms in Gulf War veterans: A longitudinal perspective. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 109, 205–213.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Boscarino, J.A. (1995). Post-traumatic stress and associated disorders among Vietnam veterans: The significance of combat exposure and social support. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 8, 317–336.Google ScholarPubMed
Breslau, N., Davis, G.C., Peterson, E.L., & Schultz, L.R. (2000). A second look at comorbidity in victims of trauma: The posttraumatic stress disorder-major depression connection. Biological Psychiatry, 48, 902–909.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brewin, C.R., Andrews, B., & Valentine, J.D. (2000). Meta-analysis of risk factors for posttraumatic stress disorder in trauma-exposed adults. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 68, 748–766.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dohrenwend, B.P., & Shrout, P.E. (1985). ‘Hassles’ in the conceptualization and measurement of life stress. American Psychologist, 40, 780–785.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Flett, R., Millar, M., Long, N., & McDonald, C. (1998). Community survey of trauma. Palmerston North, New Zealand: School of Psychology, Massey University.Google Scholar
Fontana, A., & Rosenheck, R. (1994). Posttraumatic stress disorder among Vietnam theater veterans: A causal model of etiology in a community sample. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 182, 677–684.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fontana, A., Rosenheck, R., & Horvath, T. (1997). Social support and psychopathology in the war zone. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 186, 675–681.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
House, J.S., Landis, K.R., & Umberson, D. (1988). Social relationships and health. Science, 241, 540–544.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jaccard, J., Turrisi, R., & Wan, C.K. (1990). Interaction effects in multiple regression. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.Google ScholarPubMed
Joseph, S. (1999). Social support and mental health following trauma. In Yule, W. (Ed.), Post-traumatic stress disorders: Concepts and therapy (pp. 71–91). Chichester, UK: John Wiley & Sons.Google Scholar
Keane, T.M., Caddell, J.M., & Taylor, K.L. (1986). The Mississippi Scale. Boston: VA Medical Center.Google Scholar
Kessler, R.C., Price, R.H., & Wortman, C.B. (1985). Social factors in psychopathology: Stress, social support, and coping processes. Annual Review of Psychology, 36, 531–572.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kessler, R., Sonnega, A., Bromet, E., Hughes, M., & Nelson, C. (1995). Post-traumatic stress disorder in the National Comorbidity Survey. Archives of General Psychiatry, 52, 1048–1060.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
King, L.A., King, D.W., Fairbank, J.A., Keane, T.M., & Adams, G.A. (1998). Resilience-recovery factors in post-traumatic stress disorder among female and male Vietnam veterans: Hardiness, postwar social support, and additional stressful life events. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74, 420–434.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
King, D.W., King, L.A., Foy, D.W., Keane, T.M., & Fairbank, J.A. (1999). Posttraumatic stress disorder in a national sample of female and male Vietnam veterans: Risk factors, war-zone stressors, and resilience-recovery variables. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 108, 164–170.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kulka, R.A., Schlenger, W. E., Fairbank, J.A., Hough, R.L., Jordan, B.K., Mannar, C.R., & Weiss, D.S. (1990). Trauma and the Vietnam War generation: Report of findings from the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study. New York: Brunner/Mazel.Google Scholar
Long, N., McDonald, C., & Chamberlain, K. (1996). Prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety in a community sample of New Zealand Vietnam War veterans. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 30, 253–256.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McCranie, E.W., & Hyer, L.A. (2000). Posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in Korean conflict and World War II combat veterans seeking outpatient treatment. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 13, 427–439.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Murphy, S. (1988). Mediating effects of interpersonal and social support on mental health 1 and 3 years after a natural disaster. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 1, 155–172.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Neria, Y., & Bromet, E.J. (2000). Comorbidity of PTSD and depression: Linked or separate incidence. Biological Psychiatry, 48, 878–880.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Resick, P.A. (2001). Stress and trauma. Philadelphia, PA: Psychology Press.Google Scholar
Sarason, I.G., Sarason, B.R., Potter, E.H. III, & Antonil, M.H. (1985). Life events, social support, and illness. Psychosomatic Medicine, 47, 156–163.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sarason, B.R., Sarason, I.G, Shearin, E.N., & Pierce, G.R. (1987). A brief measure of social support: Practical and theoretical implications. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 4, 497–510.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shalev, A.Y. (1996). Stress versus traumatic stress: From acute homeostatic reactions to chronic psychopathology. In B.A. van der, Kolk, A.C., McFarlane, & Weisaeth, L. (Eds.), Traumatic stress: The effects of overwhelming experience on mind, body, and society (pp. 77–101). New York: Guildford Press.Google Scholar
Solomon, Z., Mikulincer, M., & Hobfoll, S.E. (1987). Objective versus subjective measurement of stress and social support: Combat-related reactions. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 55, 577–583.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stokes, J.P. (1983). Predicting satisfaction with social support from social network structure. American Journal of Community Psychology, 11, 141–152.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tabachnick, B.G., & Fidell, L.S. (1989). Using multivariate statistics (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Harper & Row.Google Scholar
Teng, E.L., & Chui, H.C. (1987). The Modified Mini-Mental State (3MS) examination. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 48, 314–318.Google ScholarPubMed
Vincent, C., Chamberlain, K., & Long, N. (1994a). Mental and physical health status in a community sample of New Zealand Vietnam War veterans. Australian Journal of Public Health, 18, 58–62.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vincent, C., Chamberlain, K., & Long, N. (1994b). Relation of military service variables to posttraumatic stress disorder in New Zealand Vietnam War veterans. Military Medicine, 159, 322–326.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ware, J.E. Jr. (1997). SF-36 Health Survey Manual and Interpretation Guide. Boston: The Medical Outcomes Trust.Google Scholar
Watson, G.C. (1990). Psychometric posttraumatic stress disorder measurement techniques: A review. Psychological Assessment, 2, 460–469.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Watson, G.C., Plemel, D., DeMotts, J., Howard, M.T., Tuorila, J., Moog, R., et al. (1994). A comparison of four PTSD measures' convergent validities in Vietnam veterans. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 7, 75–82.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yehuda, R., & McFarlane, A.C. (1995). Conflict between current knowledge about posttraumatic stress disorder and its original conceptual basis. American Journal of Psychiatry, 152, 1705–1713.Google ScholarPubMed