Post-Deployment Difficulties and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Symptoms among Married Ghanaian Army Personnel. The Moderating Role of Post-Deployment Social Support

Abstract

Transiting from deployment to live at home can have a profound influence on the psychological health of soldiers with regard to the occurrence of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). However, the level of social support received from family and friends upon returning can help moderate the strength of this relationship. Little is known about these concepts within the Ghanaian context; therefore, the present study assessed the relationship between post-deployment difficulties and the occurrence of PTSD symptoms among married Ghanaian army soldiers at home as well as the moderating role of social support. 92 army personnel in the Ghana Armed Forces were purposively sampled to participate in the study. A quantitative research design was employed and survey questionnaires were used to collect data. Primary analysis of data was done using hierarchical multiple regression. Findings from the study indicate that military post-deployment difficulties in Ghana have a positive correlation with personnel’s PTSD symptoms. In addition, social support received from family and friends upon returning from deployment did not moderate the relationship between post-deployment difficulties and military personnel’s experience of PTSD symptoms. The need to adopt and/or develop transition programs in Ghana should be considered in managing their experience of PTSD symptoms during post-deployment.

Keywords:

• Post-deployment difficulties
• PTSD symptoms
• military deployment
• social support

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank Joseph Osafo and Charles Brenya Wiafe-Akenteng.

Funding

The current research had no form of funding from any agency.

Notes on contributor

Nathanael Nartey Agah (MPhil, University of Ghana, 2019) is a Social Psychology graduate of the University of Ghana.