Journal article
Post-High School Military Enlistment and Long-Term Well-Being
Emerging adulthood (Thousand Oaks, CA), Vol.11(1), pp.234-241
02/2023
DOI: 10.1177/21676968221131854
Abstract
Longitudinal data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health were used to evaluate the impact of post-high school military enlistment during emerging adulthood. Comparisons were made between matched samples of emerging adults who enlisted in the military (n = 576) and their civilian counterparts (n = 576) on well-being over a decade later. Well-being was broadly conceptualized to reflect socioeconomic well-being, physical health, mental health, and risky lifestyle behaviors. Matching maximizes confidence that findings reflect differences due to enlistment, rather than pre-existing characteristics that contribute to both enlistment rates and well-being. No consistent differences emerged between the matched samples. Service members reported some indicators of better mental health (perceived stress, anxiety), yet higher rates of post-traumatic stress disorder diagnosis, and civilians reported some indicators of better physical health. Strengths-based perspectives and models that account for the concurrent possibility that military service may positively and negatively impact well-being are needed in future research.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Post-High School Military Enlistment and Long-Term Well-Being
- Creators
- Mallory Lucier-Greer - Auburn UniversityCatherine W. O’Neal - Department of Psychological and Quantitative FoundationsClairee Peterson - Department of Human Development and Family Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USAKayla Reed-Fitzke - University of IowaK.A.S. Wickrama - Department of Human Development and Family Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Emerging adulthood (Thousand Oaks, CA), Vol.11(1), pp.234-241
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- DOI
- 10.1177/21676968221131854
- ISSN
- 2167-6968
- eISSN
- 2167-6984
- Grant note
- Hatch project 1017588 [Mallory Lucier-Greer, PI] / National Institute of Food and Agriculture (https://doi.org/10.13039/100005825)
- Language
- English
- Electronic publication date
- 10/04/2022
- Date published
- 02/2023
- Academic Unit
- Psychological and Quantitative Foundations; Public Policy Center (Archive)
- Record Identifier
- 9984303960302771
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