WITHDRAWN Post 9/11 Student Service Members/Veterans Well-Being As a Predictor of Academic Performance

Background: This study examined post-9/11 student service members’/veterans’ (SSM/Vs) well-being as a predictor of their academic performance. The study also aimed to test the Positive Functioning at Work Scale (PF-W; Donaldson, 2019) with SSM/Vs. The PF-W is a validated well-being measure based on Seligman's (2011) PERMA model of well-being (i.e., comprised of five pillars: positive emotion, engagement, relationship, meaning and accomplishment). The PF-W added four building blocks of well-being to include positive physical health, economic security, positive mindset, and physical environment. The study is the first to apply the PF-W Scale in a sample of SSM/Vs.

Post-9/11 SSM/Vs tend to engage less with civilian peers and campus life, report feeling different from nonveteran peers, and report lower GPAs and having less support from college/university programs (Kim & Cole, 2013). According to the American College Health Association (2013), SSM/Vs have higher reported rates of PTSD and depression, both at 46%, and a suicide ideation rate of 24%, compared to nonveteran civilian peers that have reported rates of depression at 11%, 8% for suicide ideation and 9% for PTSD.

The researcher hypothesized that SSM/Vs that report higher levels of well-being will likely report higher academic performance (i.e., GPA, beliefs they are on time towards program completion and perceptions that they are meeting their academic goals) than those SSM/Vs who report lower levels of well-being.

Method: An SSM/V sample of convenience (N = 199) was derived from seven colleges and universities in three U.S. states. Cross-sectional design with use of electronic survey was utilized to carry out the study. Logistic regression and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted. Most of the sample was male (71.4%); White (51.3) and had a mean age of 33.3. Almost 56% indicated that they had not received counseling for emotional difficulties or substance use problems, while more than one-third indicated that they had received or felt that they needed counseling for such problems. The top three branches of most recent military service represented in this sample were Army (36.7%), Marine Corps (26.6%) and Navy (20.6%). The majority (67.8%) had at least one combat deployment. Most of the sample (95.0%) was calculated to currently be of veteran status (i.e., separated from the military).

Results: The findings from the study indicate that well-being is a significant predictor of SSM/Vs’ academic performance and explain up to 18% of the variance. The findings also confirm the original factor structure of the PF-W scale. CFA model suggested a good fit for the data: χ2 =38.064, p < 0.009, χ2 /df = 1.903 CFI=.969, TLI = .957, SRMR =0.045, RMSEA = 0.067.

Implications: The results of this study serve to inform theory, research, and practice specifically on bolstering SSM/Vs' well-being to promote their academic performance. Additionally, the study highlights using a valid multidimensional well-being assessment such as the PF-W Scale to identify SSM/Vs’ strengths and well-being needs to offer tailored interventions. Finally, in line with the conference theme, the success of SSM/Vs on civilian college campuses can be considered a social justice imperative.