Civic engagement among student veterans

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Sociology
• Psychology

Background:

• Civic volunteering is a significant aspect of community engagement.
• Understanding participation rates among specific populations like service members and veterans is crucial for targeted support.
• Student veterans and service members face unique challenges during academic reintegration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess and compare civic volunteering participation rates between service member/veteran students and their non-veteran peers.
• To explore the relationship between civic engagement and mental well-being indicators in student veterans.
• To identify potential benefits of volunteerism for the reintegration of service members and veterans in higher education.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study utilizing data from the American College Health Association's National College Health Assessment II (NCHA) from 2011-2014.
• Analysis of demographic characteristics by military service status using frequencies and percentages.
• Inferential statistics including Fisher's exact test and maximum likelihood multiple logistic regression to address research questions.

Main Results:

• Service member and veteran students demonstrated significantly higher participation rates in civic volunteerism compared to non-veteran students.
• Both student veterans and non-veteran students reported that volunteer activities correlated with reduced feelings of depression.
• Participants indicated that engagement in volunteer efforts led to increased utilization of mental health services.

Conclusions:

• Promoting civic engagement and volunteerism among service member and veteran students on college campuses is a viable strategy.
• Volunteerism may serve as a protective factor, contributing to improved mental health outcomes and successful reintegration.
• These findings underscore the importance of supporting student veteran initiatives that foster community connection and well-being.