Date

8-6-2025

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD)

Chair

Patrick T. Slowinski

Keywords

spirituality, spiritual coping, combat exposure, military-to-civilian transition, combat veteran

Disciplines

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Abstract

Transitioning from military to civilian life, especially after experiencing combat, can be challenging. Researchers have found spirituality to be a buffer for military service members who have been exposed to combat; however, little is known about the relationship between spirituality and the military-to-civilian transition outcomes among combat veterans. This quantitative, non-experimental study examined the relationship between spirituality and the outcomes of the military-to-civilian transition for United States military combat veterans. The instruments used in the study were the Spiritual Well-Being Scale, the Combat Exposure Scale, and the Military-to-Civilian Questionnaire. The findings indicated that spirituality was negatively correlated with military-to-civilian difficulties (r = -0.87, p < 0.001), and combat exposure was positively correlated with military-to-civilian difficulties (r = 0.62, p < 0.001). However, spirituality was not confirmed as a moderator of the relationship between combat exposure and military-to-civilian transition difficulties (β = -.095, p = 0.072). These findings suggest that identifying factors that impact the well-being of veterans during the military-to-civilian transition can provide a means for early interventions and the development of policies and programs that can help minimize or prevent the adverse effects of transitioning to civilian life.

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