Impact of Perceived Social Support on Resilience among Military Families

Abstract

Most military mental health research in Nigeria has been conducted among military personnel, with little attention given to their families. The transitions that come with military life has been linked to an increased risk of psychological distress in military families. This study was aimed at assessing the impact of perceived social support on resilience among military families. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted to obtain information from 248 family members of military personnel deployed amongst which 135(54.4%) were spouses and 113 (45.6%) were children. The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) and Response to Stressful Experience (RSE) Scale was used as data collection instruments. Linear regression analysis was used to assess the impact of perceived social support on resilience. The result showed that perceived social support significantly predicted resilience among military families (β = .205, P = .001< a  = 0.05). The findings were discussed in relation to related literature. It was recommended that the military authorities should factor in family support programs for military families to enhance their mental robustness and resilience. This is in order to effectively cope with the transition that comes with military life and to improve military families quality of life.