Social Isolation and Well-Being in Veterans with Mental Illness

Abstract: Veterans with mental illness are a growing population in the United States (US). For some veterans, their military service has a negative effect on well-being. Social isolation is problematic for veterans’ mental health by increasing incidence of depression, suicidal ideation or attempts, and readmittance to psychiatric hospitals. Social support is a protective factor for individuals with mental illness and is key to a successful military-to-civilian transition. Thus, we examine the relationship of social isolation on well-being among veterans with any mental illness. This cross-sectional correlational study consisted of a sample of 146 US veterans with any mental illness. A three-step hierarchical regression analysis was used to determine if social isolation is a predictor of well-being after controlling for demographics, functional limitations and depression. Findings revealed social isolation was positively correlated with functional limitations (r = 0.48, p < 0.001), depression (r = 0.66, p < 0.001) and negatively correlated with well-being (r = −.64, p < 0.001). Hierarchical regression analysis revealed social isolation was negatively correlated (β = −.44, p < 0.001) with well-being. Overall, our three-step model accounted a total of 50% of variance in well-being, a large effect size. The findings underscore the importance of assessing the relationship of social isolation on well-being in veterans with mental illness. The findings also highlight promising targets to improve prevention and psychosocial interventions to improve well-being among veterans with mental illness.