Perceived friendships protect against the development of anger following childhood adversities in UK military veteran men residing in Northern Ireland

ABSTRACT

Background: Experience of childhood adversity is associated with greater anger as an adult, particularly in men. Soldiers and veterans report higher incidence of adverse childhood experiences, many of whom also experience elevated rates of PTSD and anger. However, little is known about factors which may protect against the development of anger after experiencing childhood adversity.

Objective: This study aims to assess the potential protective aspects of perceived social support in military veterans.

Methods: Data from the Northern Ireland Veterans’ Health and Wellbeing Study (N = 590, Mage = 56) was utilised in regression models to examine perceived social support (family, friend, partner; MSPSS) as a moderator of the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEQ-10) and anger (DAR-7). This sample comprised men who were UK Armed Forces veterans residing in Northern Ireland.

Results: Significant interaction effects, visualised using interaction plots, were found between perceived friend support and both child abuse and household challenge. When men perceived high friend support, there was no association between child abuse or household challenge and anger. For veteran men who perceived the maximum amount of partner support, there was no association between child abuse and anger. Family support did not change the positive association between child abuse, child neglect or household challenge and future anger.

Conclusions: This study indicates that it is especially important to foster supportive and empathetic friendships for men that have experienced adversity as a child, perhaps through programmes such as Men’s Sheds, as these friendships may alleviate the negative influences of child abuse and household challenge on anger.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Perceived friend and partner support were protective factors against the development of anger for veterans that experienced child abuse or household challenge.

• Child neglect had the strongest association with adult anger, unchanged by any type of perceived support.

• Programmes which foster friendships may be particularly beneficial for veterans transitioning out of the military.

Antecedentes: Experiencias infantiles adversas, están asociadas con un mayor sentimiento de ira durante la adultez, especialmente en hombres. Soldados y veteranos de guerra, han reportado mayor incidencia de experiencias infantiles adversas, muchos de las cuales también han presentado altas tasas de trastorno de estrés post traumático (TEPT) y problemas de ira. Sin embargo, poco se conoce sobre los factores protectores que podrían prevenir el desarrollo de problemas de ira, después de haber experimentado eventos adversos durante la niñez.

Objetivo: Este estudio tiene como objetivo evaluar los potenciales aspectos protectores recibidos como ayuda social en militares veteranos.

Método: Datos recolectados desde el Estudio de salud y bienestar de veteranos de Irlanda del Norte (N = 590, edad media = 56) fueron utilizados en un modelo regresivo para examinar la percepción del apoyo social (familia, amigos, pareja; MSPSS) como un moderador entre las experiencias infantiles adversas (ACEQ-10) y la ira (DAR-7). La muestra comprendía a hombres residentes en Irlanda del Norte, quienes fueron veteranos de las Fuerzas Armadas del Reino Unido.

Resultados: Se encontraron efectos de interacción significativos, visualizados en modelos de interacción, entre el apoyo percibido de un amigo y tanto el abuso infantil como el desafío doméstico. Cuando los hombres percibieron un alto apoyo de sus amigos, no existió asociación entre el abuso infantil y el desafío doméstico y la ira. En el caso de los veteranos que percibieron el máximo apoyo de sus parejas, no existió asociación entre el abuso infantil y la ira. El apoyo familiar no cambió la asociación positiva entre el abuso infantil, la negligencia o el desafío doméstico y los problemas de ira futuros.

Conclusiones: Este estudio indica que es especialmente importante fomentar las amistades empáticas y de apoyo para los hombres que han experimentado eventos adversos durante la niñez, quizás a través de programas como Men’s Sheds (Comunidad), ya que estas amistades pueden atenuar las influencias negativas del abuso infantil y el desafío doméstico sobre la ira.

KEYWORDS:

• Veterans
• anger
• childhood adversities
• social support
• friendship

PALABRAS CLAVES:

• Veteranos
• ira
• adversidades infantiles
• apoyo social
• amistad

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

Participants did not consent to their data being made publicly available. The raw data corresponding to the paper may be made available upon reasonable request from the Principal Investigator (Cherie Armour) in conjunction with an appropriate data sharing agreement.

Additional information

Funding

The authors would like to thank the Forces in Mind Trust [award number FiMT15/0624UL/ NIMH] for funding the Northern Ireland Veterans’ Health and Wellbeing Study. The funders had no role in the study design or publication of results.