Level of perceived social support, and associated factors, in combat-exposed (ex-)military personnel: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Combat deployment increases exposure to potentially traumatic events. Perceived social support (PSS) may promote health and recovery from combat trauma. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to synthesize studies investigating the level of PSS and associated factors among (ex-)military personnel who served in the Iraq/Afghanistan conflicts.

Methods

Five electronic databases were searched in August 2023 and searches were restricted to the beginning of the Iraq/Afghanistan conflicts in 2001. The search was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A quality assessment was carried out, and a meta-analysis and narrative synthesis were performed.

Results

In total, 35 papers consisting

SUBMITTER: Grover LE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11522048 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature