Associate Professor Arizona State University Tempe, Arizona
Importance. Depression is a challenge in military service members, and can lead to job fatigue, social isolation, and suicidal ideation. Depression rates are disproportionately higher among male military service members, impacting 23% of the population, as compared to the general male adult population, in which only 6.2% are impacted. Research suggests that social support may protect military service members from depressive symptoms, but most studies in this population focus on positive social support. Negative social support, which includes unwanted advice or intrusions, failure to provide help, unsympathetic or insensitive behavior, and rejection or neglect, is associated with higher depressive symptoms in the general population. There is also evidence that negative social support could be more impactful on depressive symptoms than positive support; however, this has not been examined in military samples. Given the higher risk for depression in male military service members, it is critical to better understand these associations. The present study addressed this literature gap in a convenience sample of 508 men service members who were recruited via social media. Method. Participants completed measures of depression, negative and positive social support, and a demographic questionnaire. A correlation comparison calculation was used to determine whether the strength of the bivariate association of negative social support and depression was stronger than the bivariate association of positive social support and depression. Subsequently, linear regression was employed to test the simultaneous effects of positive and negative social exchanges as correlates of depression after accounting for age, race, and marital status. Results. The magnitude of the association of negative social support and depression (r=.48, p< .001) was statistically stronger than the magnitude of positive social support and depression (r=-.41, p< .001; t[301]=-11.55, p< 0.05). Linear regression revealed that positive (partial r=-.32, p< .001) and negative (partial r=.40, p< .001) social support were associated with depression in expected directions with medium-to-large effect sizes. The regression accounted for 30% of the variance in depression scores. Conclusion. Higher negative social exchanges are stronger correlates of depression as compared to positive social exchanges. Decreasing insensitive behaviors may reduce depression in men SM/Vs.
