Presentation Title
College Students' Stigmas on Military Life
Faculty Mentor
Jennifer Coons
Start Date
17-11-2018 3:00 PM
End Date
17-11-2018 5:00 PM
Location
CREVELING 80
Session
POSTER 3
Type of Presentation
Poster
Subject Area
behavioral_social_sciences
Abstract
College Students’ Stigmas on Military Life
Due to extreme stressors (Breslau, Davis, Andreski, & Peterson, 1991), military service members and veterans face a variety of mental-health challenges, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), while serving and after returning home post-discharge (Wade et al., 2015). These challenges have been linked to serious losses in their quality of life, productivity, and interpersonal relationships (Westphal, 2007). Previous literature has noted the importance in public and self-stigmas of service members and veterans as important mediators in seeking out behavioral health-care services (Green-Shortridge et al., 2007). Among service members experiencing mental health issues, studies show that the percentage of personnel that seek behavioral health-care services could be as low as 23% (Hoge et al., 2004). The current study evaluates the potential stigmas that college students have on different aspects of military life while serving and post-discharge. We hypothesize that students’ personality traits of extraversion and neuroticism on the BFI-2 will be related to their views of the military. Preliminary results from fifty-three students at California State University, Fullerton show significant correlations between neuroticism scores and views on military discharge training (r(51) = -.415, p = .002), and veteran readjustment (r(51) = -.371, p = .006). Correlations between the participants’ views on personal growth inside the military and their scores on conscientiousness (r(51) = .267, p = .053) and neuroticism (r(51) = .-249, p = .053) are trending in the expected direction. If we can better understand what stigmas our young-adults have about the military and post-life service, we can assess some of the civilian factors that play into the low percentage of service members seeking behavioral health-care services.
Summary of research results to be presented
Final data collection ends on 10/31 but preliminary results are included in the abstract.
College Students' Stigmas on Military Life
CREVELING 80
College Students’ Stigmas on Military Life
Due to extreme stressors (Breslau, Davis, Andreski, & Peterson, 1991), military service members and veterans face a variety of mental-health challenges, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), while serving and after returning home post-discharge (Wade et al., 2015). These challenges have been linked to serious losses in their quality of life, productivity, and interpersonal relationships (Westphal, 2007). Previous literature has noted the importance in public and self-stigmas of service members and veterans as important mediators in seeking out behavioral health-care services (Green-Shortridge et al., 2007). Among service members experiencing mental health issues, studies show that the percentage of personnel that seek behavioral health-care services could be as low as 23% (Hoge et al., 2004). The current study evaluates the potential stigmas that college students have on different aspects of military life while serving and post-discharge. We hypothesize that students’ personality traits of extraversion and neuroticism on the BFI-2 will be related to their views of the military. Preliminary results from fifty-three students at California State University, Fullerton show significant correlations between neuroticism scores and views on military discharge training (r(51) = -.415, p = .002), and veteran readjustment (r(51) = -.371, p = .006). Correlations between the participants’ views on personal growth inside the military and their scores on conscientiousness (r(51) = .267, p = .053) and neuroticism (r(51) = .-249, p = .053) are trending in the expected direction. If we can better understand what stigmas our young-adults have about the military and post-life service, we can assess some of the civilian factors that play into the low percentage of service members seeking behavioral health-care services.