Depression in Female Veterans Returning from Deployment: The Role of Social Factors

The purpose of this study is to examine social factors as they relate to mental health adjustment, namely depressive symptoms among female veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn (OND). Problems such as depressive symptoms and risks related to combat exposure can have negative effects on adjustment following service; understanding the relationship between these problems may contribute to strategies providers can use to facilitate healthy adjustment after deployment. We hypothesized that combat exposure would predict higher levels of depressive symptoms and that social support would moderate the relationship between combat exposure and depression. [from the author]