scholarly journals LONELINESS FOLLOWING WIDOWHOOD: THE ROLE OF THE MILITARY AND SOCIAL SUPPORT

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S565-S566
Author(s):  
Brittany M King ◽  
Dawn Carr ◽  
Miles G Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Social Supports ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Military Spouses ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Veteran Status ◽  
The Military ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Retirement Study

Abstract Social support provides important benefits following widowhood. One context promoting social support throughout life may be the military, where benefits extend to both service members and their spouses. A substantial proportion of older men served in the military, so many widowed women today were married to veterans. We tested two hypotheses: 1) surviving military spouses will experience lower persistent loneliness following widowhood compared to their nonmilitary counterparts, and 2) this benefit is explained by increased emotional and structural social support. Our study uses the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) to examine changes in loneliness following widowhood among spouses of veterans and nonveterans. We used OLS regression and mediation tests to address our hypotheses. Overall, results supported our hypotheses. Widows of veterans reported lower levels of loneliness following widowhood compared to nonveteran widows (=-0.122; p<0.05). Emotional and structural social support mediated the relationship between veteran status of the deceased spouse and loneliness. Specifically, the beneficial effect of veteran status was reduced by almost 50% and became nonsignificant. Our findings suggest the military may facilitate lifelong cultivation of social support that flows not only to veterans but also to their families. These findings are suggest that the military may offer important opportunities to cultivate emotional and structural social supports that enhance the ability of veteran wives to more readily adjust to widowhood. Additionally, they emphasize the importance of having social support in later life when faced with adversity, as it seems to ameliorate some of the negative effects.

scholarly journals Risk Aversion Among Male Older Adults: Does Veteran Status Matter?

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 636-636
Author(s):  
Kent Jason Cheng ◽  
Scott Landes ◽  
Janet Wilmoth
Keyword(s):  
Risk Aversion ◽  
Military Service ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Economic Outcomes ◽  
Veteran Status ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
The Life Course ◽  
Status Differences ◽  
Retirement Study

Abstract Risk aversion determines how people make decisions and is known to predict a wide array of economic outcomes. This study assessed whether there are veteran status differences in risk aversion utilizing the Health and Retirement Study. Risk aversion is based on hypothetical financial gambles (N=2,121; 2006 wave) and self-reported risk attitudes on selected topics (N= 4,980; pooled 2014 and 2016 waves of the Leave-Behind Survey). Results from multivariate analyses reveal that veterans were more likely to be risk averse than nonveterans in financial matters, occupation, and health, but veteran status is not statistically significant in explaining risk taking in driving and leisure, and sport risk. Further research is needed to discern the role of military service-related experiences in determining levels of risk aversion among veterans and the extent to which risk aversion accounts for veteran status differences in later-life economic outcomes. Part of a symposium sponsored by the Aging Veterans: Effects of Military Service across the Life Course Interest Group.

scholarly journals Do Social Support and Strain Mediate the Relationship Between Childhood Exposures and Frailty in Later Life?

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 497-497
Author(s):  
Monica Williams-Farrelly ◽  
Kenneth Ferraro
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Childhood Health ◽  
Established Relationship ◽  
Pathway Models ◽  
Adult Morbidity ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Retirement Study

Abstract Previous studies have identified the early origins of physical frailty, notably poor childhood health and socioeconomic status, but relatively few studies examine whether social support in later life mitigates the influence of early noxious exposures on frailty. Given the established relationship between health and social relationships in older adults, this research uses data from the Health and Retirement study (2004-2016) to examine whether social support and strain mediate the effect of childhood exposures on frailty in later life. A series of linear regression and pathway models were estimated to test whether childhood exposures, including socioeconomic status, infectious and chronic diseases, impairments, and risky adolescent parental behaviors, were associated with phenotypic frailty (Fried et al. 2001). After adjusting for demographic and adult factors, accumulated childhood misfortune was directly (b=0.015, p<.01) and indirectly (b=0.007, p<.001) associated with more frailty. Average social support, but not strain, from one’s spouse, children, family and friends significantly mediated the relationship between accumulated misfortune and frailty (b= -.002, p<.01). Path analysis revealed that social support reduces later life frailty directly (b=-0.106 ,p<.001) and indirectly through a reduction in adult morbidity (b=-0.031, p<.001). However, counterintuitively we found that accumulated misfortune was associated with more social support. Supplemental analyses reveal that one or more infectious diseases in childhood were responsible for the positive relationship (b= 0.393, p<.001). These results have implications for how we may reduce the burden of frailty on those who have experienced misfortune early in life.

scholarly journals Disaster makes us more patriotic: A pilot study for role of support in relationship between post-traumatic stress and patriotism.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sizhe Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Questionnaire Survey ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
The Relationship

The negative effects of post-traumatic stress on individuals have been widely studied, but its positive effects have gradually been paid attention to in recent years. Recent studies indicate that post-traumatic stress may increase social cohesion. This study aims further to verify the relationship between post-traumatic stress and patriotism and test whether social support is a potential mediating variable. We conducted a questionnaire survey of 81 participants in Zhengzhou, China. The results show that post-traumatic stress is not significantly related to patriotism and social support. Still, patriotism and social support have significantly related limitations, and prospects are being discussed.

Social Support, Emotional Intelligence, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole L. Hofman ◽  
Austin M. Hahn ◽  
Christine K. Tirabassi ◽  
Raluca M. Gaher
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Emotional Intelligence ◽  
Protective Factors ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Events ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract. Exposure to traumatic events and the associated risk of developing Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms is a significant and overlooked concern in the college population. It is important for current research to identify potential protective factors associated with the development and maintenance of PTSD symptoms unique to this population. Emotional intelligence and perceived social support are two identified protective factors that influence the association between exposure to traumatic events and PTSD symptomology. The current study examined the mediating role of social support in the relationship between emotional intelligence and PTSD symptoms. Participants included 443 trauma-exposed university students who completed online questionnaires. The results of this study indicated that social support mediates the relationship between emotional intelligence and reported PTSD symptoms. Thus, emotional intelligence is significantly associated with PTSD symptoms and social support may play an integral role in the relationship between emotional intelligence and PTSD. The current study is the first to investigate the role of social support in the relationship between emotional intelligence and PTSD symptoms. These findings have important treatment and prevention implications with regard to PTSD.

Religion and the Military

2018 ◽  
pp. 535-552
Author(s):  
Leana A. Bouffard ◽  
Haerim Jin
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Military Service ◽  
Criminal Justice Policy ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Period Effects ◽  
Offending Patterns ◽  
Role Of Religion ◽  
The Military ◽  
The Relationship

This chapter provides an overview of the literature examining the role of religion and military service in the desistance process. It also identifies outstanding issues and directions for future research. It first presents an overview of research examining the role of religion in desistance and highlights measurement issues, potential intervening mechanisms, and a consideration of faith-based programs as criminal justice policy. Next, this chapter covers the relationship between military service and offending patterns, including period effects that explain variation in the relationship, selection effects, and the incorporation of military factors in criminal justice policy and programming. The chapter concludes by highlighting general conclusions from these two bodies of research and questions to be considered in future research.

scholarly journals The Relationship Between Social Support and Student Academic Involvement: The Mediating Role of School Belonging

2021 ◽  
pp. 082957352110347
Author(s):  
Luis Francisco Vargas-Madriz ◽  
Chiaki Konishi
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Parental Support ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
School Belonging ◽  
School Students ◽  
Academic Involvement ◽  
The Relationship

Canada’s high school graduation rates are still low when compared to other members of the OECD. Previous studies have found academic involvement is associated with positive trajectories toward graduation, that social support promotes student engagement, and that school belonging could mediate this relationship. Still, little is known about the specificity of such mediation, especially in Québec. Therefore, this study examined the role of belonging as mediator of the relationship between social support and academic involvement. Participants ( N = 238) were high-school students from the Greater Montréal Area. All variables were measured by the School-Climate Questionnaire. Results from hierarchical multiple regressions indicated parental support had a direct relationship, whereas peer and teacher support had a mediated relationship by school belonging with academic involvement. Results highlight the critical role of school belonging in promoting academic involvement in relation to social support.

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