A correlational study of resilience and social support among National Guard/Reserve families

Although systemic research on National Guard and Reserve (NGR) spouses and families does not exist, the situation is due to change given the expansive role of NGR service members in combat operations over the last decade. In addition, research exploring the effects of deployment on family resilience and social support is limited. The present study employed a predictive correlational design to determine the relationship between resilience and social support for NGR families and five predictor variables (distance from a military base or unit, number of children in the home, employment status of the spouse, rank of the service member, and neighborhood tenure). A sample of 110 spouses of NGR service members with a history of deployment from across 36 states completed a web-based survey instrument. No significant relationships were found between resilience or social support for NGR spouses and any of the five predictor variables. In addition, the results indicate that resilience in NGR spouses is moderately high, as is the level of social support