Social Networks and Military Sexual Harassment: Implications for Depression Among U.S. Army Personnel

Background and Purpose: Military sexual harassment victimization is associated with poor mental and physical health and the erosion of morale and cohesion within military units. Social support can mitigate the psychological and emotional distress that survivors may endure, enabling them to cope more effectively. However, there is a significant gap in current knowledge regarding how social networks may moderate the relationship between military sexual harassment and depression.

Methods: Data was collected using a cross-sectional design. A convenience sample of 242 active-duty U.S. Army personnel were recruited from one domestically stationed battalion in 2019. Participants completed a self-report questionnaire and a social network interview, which asked participants to list as many as ten people they had contact with in the past 30 days and then answer questions about their relationships with and characteristics of network members. Linear regressions were used to examine the relationship between depression, military sexual harassment, and social networks, controlling for demographic variables (such as gender, race, and age), as well as mental health variables, including PTSD and suicidality. It was hypothesized that social support size would positively moderate the relationship between military sexual harassment and depression.

Results: 74% of women and 40% of men reported experiencing military sexual harassment. The adjusted R-square of 0.496 indicates that approximately 49.6% of the variance in depression among the sampled individuals is accounted for by the model. There was a significant network interaction effect, such that the effect of military sexual harassment did significantly vary by social network size t(220) = 2.31, p < .05) while controlling for demographic variables, PTSD, and suicidality. As the harassment level increases, the negative association of social support with depression is attenuated.

Conclusions and Implications: The findings underscore the alarming prevalence of military sexual harassment and its detrimental impact on mental health. The study revealed a crucial moderating role of social support network size and harassment. When people experience higher levels of harassment, their support networks appear to be less able to protect them from depressive symptoms. These results emphasize the importance of fostering robust social support systems within military units as a means of buffering against the adverse effects of sexual harassment. Efforts to strengthen interpersonal connections and promote a culture of solidarity and empathy may help mitigate the psychological toll of harassment and enhance overall well-being among service members.