Childhood adversity and its effects on military members’ health and readiness : the mediating and moderating effects of social support

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dc.contributor.advisorVon Sternberg, Kirk
dc.contributor.committeeMemberDiNitto, Diana
dc.contributor.committeeMemberBorah, Elisa
dc.contributor.committeeMemberCastro, Yessenia
dc.contributor.committeeMemberGerlach, Beth
dc.creatorPaine, Christopher Michael
dc.creator.orcid0000-0002-8407-7130
dc.date.accessioned2019-09-10T16:20:57Z
dc.date.available2019-09-10T16:20:57Z
dc.date.created2019-05
dc.date.issued2019-05-13
dc.date.submittedMay 2019
dc.date.updated2019-09-10T16:20:58Z
dc.description.abstractThis cross-sectional study examined (a) the mediating role of several social pathways (i.e., unit cohesion, task cohesion, organizational support, positive and negative perceptions of officer and noncommissioned officer support, and anxiety in experiencing close relationships) on the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and service members’ mental health, and (b) the moderating effect of the aformentioned social support types on ACEs’ effect on service members’ mental health. A secondary analysis of data through structural equation modeling (SEM) and linear regression was conducted using responses from 1,285 active duty Army soldiers (1,137 males and 148 females) from a single brigade combat team (BCT) six months post-deployment. The Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) provided the data. SEM demonstrated that the effects of ACEs on several mental health outcomes were consistently mediated by the perceptions of poor officer and noncommissioned officer leader support and positive officer leader support, and anxiety in experiencing close relationships, but buffered by organizational support. Linear regression analyses also demonstrated that ACE’s effects on various mental health outcomes was positively or negatively moderated by distinct types of military cohesion (e.g., positive and negative officer and noncommissioned officer leadership, organizational support, anxiety in experiencing close relationships) and military cohesion appears to have a more important moderating effect among women than for men (e.g., among women, the effect of ACE on aggressive behavior and PTSD decreased as positive NCO leader support increased; and the effect of ACE on alcohol problems increased as poor NCO leader support increased). These findings broaden knowledge about ACEs as a growing antecedent for mental health problems among service members, elucidate key mechanisms through which ACEs are linked to service members’ mental health risk, and demonstrate that distinct types of vertical cohesion (i.e., organizational and supportive leader support behaviors) appear to be robust health capacity builders and military strength-multipliers.
dc.description.departmentSocial Work
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/2152/75786
dc.identifier.urihttp://dx.doi.org/10.26153/tsw/2888
dc.language.isoen
dc.subjectAdverse childhood experience
dc.subjectACE
dc.subjectMilitary
dc.subjectArmy
dc.subjectVeteran
dc.subjectDeploy
dc.subjectSocial support
dc.subjectMilitary cohesion
dc.subjectVertical cohesion
dc.subjectHorizontal cohesion
dc.subjectLeadership
dc.subjectModeration
dc.subjectMediation
dc.subjectMental health
dc.subjectStructural equation model
dc.subjectRegression
dc.titleChildhood adversity and its effects on military members’ health and readiness : the mediating and moderating effects of social support
dc.typeThesis
dc.type.materialtext
thesis.degree.departmentSocial Work
thesis.degree.disciplineSocial Work
thesis.degree.grantorThe University of Texas at Austin
thesis.degree.levelDoctoral
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Philosophy

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