Effects of Perceived Public Regard on the Well-Being of Military Veterans
Abstract: Many military veterans face considerable challenges reintegrating into civilian life. Evidence suggests the general public holds conflicting attitudes toward veterans. This study examines how perceived public attitudes play a role in veterans’ mental health and well-being. Drawing from and extending interactionist theories of self-concept, stigma, and mental health recovery, we develop and estimate models for the relationships between internalized public attitudes toward veterans (perceived public regard), military identity– related self-worth (private regard), and well-being (depression, self-efficacy, and life satisfaction). Using survey data from the Chicagoland Veterans Study, we found that perceived public regard is negatively related to depression and positively related to self-efficacy and life satisfaction. The relationship between public regard and self-efficacy is fully mediated by private regard, and a significant part of the relationship between perceived public regard and both depression and life satisfaction is mediated by private regard. The study suggests avenues for extending theory and research related to military identity and public understanding of veterans as well as other groups where there may be conflicting public sentiment toward them.
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.