Who supports the troops? Social support domains and sources in active duty Army networks

Abstract: Social support is a critical determinant of military service members’ mental and behavioral health outcomes, but few studies have investigated social support types and sources in the mixed family and military social networks in which service members are embedded. We applied multilevel logistic regression modeling to investigate links between active-duty Army Soldiers’ individual demographic and military characteristics, relational characteristics, and social support outcomes, in sample of 241 active-duty U.S. Army personnel. Results showed that participants who rated unit cohesion higher were more likely to report receiving informational, emotional, and mental health help-seeking support. Participants were more likely to receive informational, emotional, and help-seeking support from a romantic partner or deployment buddy than a relative and less likely to receive help-seeking support from males than females. Findings highlight the critical importance of both unit level and external relationships in meeting Soldiers’ social support needs.

Read the full article
Report a problem with this article

Related articles

  • More for Researchers

    Risk of incident mild cognitive impairment and dementia soon after leaving incarceration among a US Veteran population

    Abstract: Objectives: Increasing numbers of older adults are reentering community following incarceration (i.e., reentry), yet risk of incident neurodegenerative disorders associated with reentry is unknown. Our objective was to determine association between reentry status (reentry vs never-incarcerated) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and/or dementia. Methods: This nationwide, longitudinal cohort study used linked Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and Veterans Health Administration data. Participants were aged 65 years or older who experienced reentry between October 1, 2012, and December 31, 2018, with no preincarceration MCI/dementia, compared with age-matched/sex-matched never-incarcerated veterans. MCI/dementia was defined by diagnostic codes. Fine-Gray proportional hazards models were used to examine association. Results: This study included 35,520 veterans, mean age of 70 years, and approximately 1% women. The reentry group (N = 5,920) had higher incidence of MCI/dementia compared with the never-incarcerated group (N = 29,600; 10.2% vs 7.2%; fully adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.12; 95% CI 1.00-1.25). On further investigation, reentry was associated with increased risk of dementia with or without prior MCI diagnosis (aHR 1.21; 95% CI 1.06-1.39) but not MCI only. Discussion: Transition from incarceration to community increased risk of neurocognitive diagnosis. Findings indicate health/social services to identify and address significant cognitive deficits on late-life reentry. Limitations include generalizability to nonveterans.