Social Support Networks of Vietnam Veterans: A Typology of Social Relations
Abstract
Combat service has been associated with difficulties in personal, family, and community relations across multi-era veteran cohorts. Some researchers suggest contact with other veterans may act as mediators or moderators for social integration. Other researchers theorize that the strong emotional bonds forged during combat service are difficult to reproduce in civilian social networks leading to social isolation and degradation of social support networks. We propose using a social network analysis (SNA) approach to examine the effects of long-term relationships with other combat veterans on the personal social support networks of Vietnam veterans who participate in a veteran’s service organization (VSO). Our overall objective is to determine the structure of the personal social networks and the associated types of functional social support found among a group of Vietnam veterans who participate in a VSO. Our rationale for the proposed research is that once we understand how personal social support networks are impacted by participation in VSOs we may be able to identify and test ways in which VSOs affect social integration. This cross-sectional personal social support network study will use social support questionnaires designed to elicit data regarding personal social relations as well as relations within the VSO. SNA software packages will be utilized to examine these data to determine how veterans use VSOs for support and how VSOs affect personal social support networks. This study will be the start of a program of research comparing multi-era veterans and defining how social support is affected by VSO participation with a goal of developing new interventions to address social issues among emerging veteran cohorts.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Oct 18, 2018
- Source ID
- HU0001161TS17
Entities
People
- Sarah Huffman
Organizations
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences