Soldier stressors and life satisfaction in the Philippine Army

Military life is a unique profession that also has its own unique stressors. The research aims to explore the perceived quality of life among soldiers from the Philippine Army through an analysis of military life in terms of life satisfaction and coping strategies applied to the different soldiers stressors. A quantitative method of research was used. The study made use of four scales the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), Temporal Satisfaction with life Scale (TSWLS), Armed Forces Medical College Life Events Scale (AFMC LES) and the Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WCQ). Data were gathered from surveys given to 365 Filipino Army soldiers from three different sites: in Fort Bonifacio Taguig City, Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City and the Southern Luzon Command in Camp Guillermo Nakar, Lucena City. Data were then analyzed through a descriptive correlational study. Results show no significant relationship between stressors and life satisfaction and its was found out that the soldiers express high levels in both aspects. Moreover, the top coping strategies identified in the study are Self-Controlling, Planful Problem Solving and Positive Reappraisal. This study suggests that though soldiers are exposed to high levels of stress, they are still able to maintain a high level of life satisfaction due to the effectiveness of their coping strategies