Beyond the Barricade: A Holistic View of Veteran Students at an Urban University
Abstract: As veteran students return to campus following their service, colleges and universities are establishing various resources in an attempt to assist them. For this study, a group veteran and military participants at an urban university were interviewed to determine the extent to which current campus conditions foster a sense of belongingfor veteran students. The study found that veteran students at this university identify with their older peers because of their maturity and life experiences. Their veteranidentity is viewed as secondary, if considered influential at all. These findings suggest that universities should focus on providing services for the larger non-traditional student population in order to meet the needs of veteran students.
Abstract: U.S. Air Force remotely piloted aircraft (USAF RPA) personnel face diverse stressors negatively affecting psychological health and military readiness. Prior research in diverse populations supports predictable impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on occupational stressors, burnout, and more distal outcomes. Extending earlier studies linking broad variables (e.g., COVID-19 threat → work stress → burnout), the current study tests and refines an expanded mediation model based on multiple distinct pandemic concerns, occupational stressors, and burnout facets as antecedents of psychological distress mid-pandemic in RPA personnel (N = 496). Differential representation of demands, resources, and rewards evident across distinct occupational stressors in light of job demands/resources theory guided specification of mediated pathways. SEM analysis yielded moderate fit. Following removal of non-significant paths and addition of two interpretable direct paths, fit was improved, yielding seven dominant pandemic concern → occupational stressor → burnout → psychological distress pathways. In support of domain specification, five 'hub' variables (pandemic-driven change, personal stressors, workload, leader communication, and exhaustion) emerged as key intervention targets in mitigating distress in the USAF RPA community and similar populations during future pandemic-related crises.