Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 12, 2026

The Social Dimension of Stress: Experimental Manipulations of Social Support and Social Identity in the Trier Social Stress Test
Published on: November 19, 2015
Social integration and social contribution moderate the moral injury-suicidality link among veterans
Elizabeth L Wetzler1, Joel K Cartwright1, Chelsea M Sims1
1United States Military Academy, Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership, United States of America.
Abstract:
Moral injury, arising from perceived violations of deeply held moral beliefs, is a significant risk factor for suicidality among veterans. Consistent with the buffering hypothesis, factors associated with social well-being may attenuate this relationship. This study tested whether two facets of social well-being, specifically social integration (i.e., feeling connected) and social contribution (i.e., believing one's actions matter), combine to moderate the moral injury-suicidality relationship. Using data previously collected from 1469 veterans who participated in the Military Mental Health and Well-being Project, a moderated-moderation regression analysis revealed a significant three-way interaction: the moral injury-suicidality link was strongest when both social integration and social contribution were low and weakest when both social integration and social contribution were high. Supplemental analyses using each of the four suicidality items as a separate outcome showed a highly consistent buffering pattern across lifetime ideation/attempt history, past-year ideation, suicide communications, and anticipated future suicide risk. Findings suggest that social integration and social contribution may represent promising targets for intervention research aimed at reducing suicidality among veterans experiencing symptoms of moral injury.
Related Concept Videos
Traits, Mood, and Subjective Wellbeing
Neuroticism and Emotional...
Ethnic Identity within a Larger Culture
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Symptoms and Behavioral Manifestations
A spectrum of distressing symptoms characterizes PTSD. Recurrent flashbacks, where individuals involuntarily relive traumatic events, are a...
Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia
Social Relationships and Well-Being
Sources of Self-Esteem III: Social Comparison
