Abstract
Purpose: Low social support and small social network size have been associated with a variety of negative mental health outcomes, while their impact on mental health services use is less clear. To date, few studies have examined these associations in National Guard service members, where frequency of mental health problems is high, social support may come from military as well as other sources, and services use may be suboptimal. Methods: Surveys were administered to 1448 recently returned National Guard members. Multivariable regression models assessed the associations between social support characteristics, probable mental health conditions, and service utilization. Results: In bivariate analyses, large social network size, high social network diversity, high perceived social support, and high military unit support were each associated with lower likelihood of having a probable mental health condition (p < .001). In adjusted analyses, high perceived social support (OR.90, CI.88–.92) and high unit support (OR.96, CI.94–.97) continued to be significantly associated with lower likelihood of mental health conditions. Two social support measures were associated with lower likelihood of receiving mental health services in bivariate analyses, but were not significant in adjusted models. Conclusions: General social support and military-specific support were robustly associated with reduced mental health symptoms in National Guard members. Policy makers, military leaders, and clinicians should attend to service members’ level of support from both the community and their units and continue efforts to bolster these supports. Other strategies, such as focused outreach, may be needed to bring National Guard members with need into mental health care.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1367-1378 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology |
| Volume | 50 |
| Issue number | 9 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Sep 30 2015 |
Fingerprint
Keywords
- Depression
- National Guard
- PTSD
- Social network
- Social support
- Veteran
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Epidemiology
- Health(social science)
- Social Psychology
- Psychiatry and Mental health
Cite this
Social networks, mental health problems, and mental health service utilization in OEF/OIF National Guard veterans. / Sripada, Rebecca K.; Bohnert, Amy S.B.; Teo, Alan; Levine, Debra S.; Pfeiffer, Paul N.; Bowersox, Nicholas W.; Mizruchi, Mark S.; Chermack, Stephen T.; Ganoczy, Dara; Walters, Heather; Valenstein, Marcia.
In: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, Vol. 50, No. 9, 30.09.2015, p. 1367-1378.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Social networks, mental health problems, and mental health service utilization in OEF/OIF National Guard veterans
AU - Sripada, Rebecca K.
AU - Bohnert, Amy S.B.
AU - Teo, Alan
AU - Levine, Debra S.
AU - Pfeiffer, Paul N.
AU - Bowersox, Nicholas W.
AU - Mizruchi, Mark S.
AU - Chermack, Stephen T.
AU - Ganoczy, Dara
AU - Walters, Heather
AU - Valenstein, Marcia
PY - 2015/9/30
Y1 - 2015/9/30
N2 - Purpose: Low social support and small social network size have been associated with a variety of negative mental health outcomes, while their impact on mental health services use is less clear. To date, few studies have examined these associations in National Guard service members, where frequency of mental health problems is high, social support may come from military as well as other sources, and services use may be suboptimal. Methods: Surveys were administered to 1448 recently returned National Guard members. Multivariable regression models assessed the associations between social support characteristics, probable mental health conditions, and service utilization. Results: In bivariate analyses, large social network size, high social network diversity, high perceived social support, and high military unit support were each associated with lower likelihood of having a probable mental health condition (p < .001). In adjusted analyses, high perceived social support (OR.90, CI.88–.92) and high unit support (OR.96, CI.94–.97) continued to be significantly associated with lower likelihood of mental health conditions. Two social support measures were associated with lower likelihood of receiving mental health services in bivariate analyses, but were not significant in adjusted models. Conclusions: General social support and military-specific support were robustly associated with reduced mental health symptoms in National Guard members. Policy makers, military leaders, and clinicians should attend to service members’ level of support from both the community and their units and continue efforts to bolster these supports. Other strategies, such as focused outreach, may be needed to bring National Guard members with need into mental health care.
AB - Purpose: Low social support and small social network size have been associated with a variety of negative mental health outcomes, while their impact on mental health services use is less clear. To date, few studies have examined these associations in National Guard service members, where frequency of mental health problems is high, social support may come from military as well as other sources, and services use may be suboptimal. Methods: Surveys were administered to 1448 recently returned National Guard members. Multivariable regression models assessed the associations between social support characteristics, probable mental health conditions, and service utilization. Results: In bivariate analyses, large social network size, high social network diversity, high perceived social support, and high military unit support were each associated with lower likelihood of having a probable mental health condition (p < .001). In adjusted analyses, high perceived social support (OR.90, CI.88–.92) and high unit support (OR.96, CI.94–.97) continued to be significantly associated with lower likelihood of mental health conditions. Two social support measures were associated with lower likelihood of receiving mental health services in bivariate analyses, but were not significant in adjusted models. Conclusions: General social support and military-specific support were robustly associated with reduced mental health symptoms in National Guard members. Policy makers, military leaders, and clinicians should attend to service members’ level of support from both the community and their units and continue efforts to bolster these supports. Other strategies, such as focused outreach, may be needed to bring National Guard members with need into mental health care.
KW - Depression
KW - National Guard
KW - PTSD
KW - Social network
KW - Social support
KW - Veteran
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84942551809&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84942551809&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00127-015-1078-2
DO - 10.1007/s00127-015-1078-2
M3 - Article
C2 - 26032182
AN - SCOPUS:84942551809
VL - 50
SP - 1367
EP - 1378
JO - Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
JF - Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
SN - 0933-7954
IS - 9
ER -