The present research examined social connection as a mediator through which perceived resilience prior to a combat deployment predicts fewer posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms for soldiers exposed to high levels of combat. Soldiers (N = 1,222) completed the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) and a measure of PTSD symptoms prior to deploying to Afghanistan (Time 1) and measures of combat exposure and social connection immediately after the deployment (Time 2). Soldiers then completed measures of PTSD symptoms at 3 months (Time 3) and 10-12 months (Time 4) following the deployment. Within the context of the Conservation of Resources (COR) model, perceived resilience and social connection represented personal and social resources that allow military personnel to demonstrate better mental health when confronted with the traumatic stressor of combat exposure. Perceived resilience prior to the deployment interacted with combat exposure to predict PTSD symptoms at Time 3 and Time 4 after controlling for baseline PTSD symptoms. Perceived resilience was more strongly related to PTSD symptoms under higher levels of combat exposure. Moderated mediation models provided support for social connection as a mediator of the relationship between perceived resilience at baseline and PTSD symptoms at Time 3 and 4 under higher levels of combat exposure. The results provide some of the first empirical evidence regarding the predictive value of perceived resilience prior to potentially traumatic exposure and document social connection as an important resource linking perceived resilience to positive adaptation after adversity. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

中文翻译：

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将适应力和社会联系视为职业逆境后调整的预测因素。

本研究将社会联系作为中介进行了检验，通过这种中介，在战斗部署之前感知到的弹性可以预测暴露于高水平战斗的士兵的创伤后应激障碍 (PTSD) 症状较少。士兵（N = 1,222）在部署到阿富汗之前（时间 1）完成了简短弹性量表（BRS）和 PTSD 症状的测量，以及在部署后立即测量战斗暴露和社会联系（时间 2）。然后，士兵在部署后的 3 个月（时间 3）和 10-12 个月（时间 4）完成了 PTSD 症状的测量。在资源保护 (COR) 模型的背景下，感知复原力和社会联系代表了个人和社会资源，使军事人员在面对战斗暴露的创伤性压力源时能够表现出更好的心理健康。在控制基线 PTSD 症状后，部署前感知的弹性与战斗暴露相互作用以预测时间 3 和时间 4 的 PTSD 症状。在更高水平的战斗暴露下，感知弹性与 PTSD 症状更密切相关。适度的中介模型为社会联系提供了支持，作为基线感知弹性与时间 3 和 4 在更高水平的战斗暴露下的 PTSD 症状之间关系的中介。结果提供了一些关于潜在创伤暴露之前感知弹性的预测价值的初步经验证据，并将社会联系记录为将感知弹性与逆境后积极适应联系起来的重要资源。（PsycInfo 数据库记录 (c) 2021 APA，保留所有权利）。