Socio-ecological modelling of support factors to mitigate the risks of PTSD in Slovenian military families
Socio-ecological modelling of support factors to mitigate the risks of PTSD in Slovenian military families

Summary/Abstract: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) occurs because of a variety of stressful situations and can be alleviated by a combination of support factors across different socio-ecological levels. The study investigates the impact of support at different socio-ecological levels on risk factors for PTSD in military families. A survey of 366 Slovenian service members and their spouses or intimate partners was conducted. We ran a basic regression model of risk factors for PTSD and later 6 two-stage hierarchical regression analyses to determine how the effect of risk factors on PTSD changes when support factors are added. On the micro level: 1) work environment support lessens the negative impact of general health and depression on PTSD; 2) spousal/intimate partner support is beneficial for women; and 3) family support offsets the negative impact of work on PTSD. On the meso and macro levels, community and military support ease the negative impact of the direct work environment, while macro national support significantly contributes to reducing PTSD.

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