Multilevel random coefficient modeling was employed to explore the moderation effects of unit stabilization on post-deployment coping among Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) veterans. Based on survey data collected on 3,832 U.S. Army soldiers belonging to 55 companies, unit-level variables were constructed and subsequent analysis was performed on only those unit members who had deployed (n = 2,507). This study found that among soldiers who had recently deployed with their current Brigade Combat Team (BCT) and who remained stabilized within their current company for a period at least as great as the post-deployment survey interval (i.e., ¡Ý 6 months at T1; ¡Ý 12 months at T2), unit stabilization had both main and cross-level moderation effects on the combat exposure¡ªdepression symptoms relationship among soldiers who experienced low levels of combat exposure (i.e., 1SD below the mean). Similarly, cross-level moderation effects were detected for unit stabilization on the combat exposure¡ªanxiety symptoms relationship, but only for those units experiencing low levels of combat exposure. Unit stabilization effects were detected for post-traumatic stress symptoms, but only at six months post-deployment. Finally, two social constructs (i.e., unit cohesion and unit readiness) were evaluated for their ability to predict psychological strain symptoms separate from and in combination with the dominant variant of four unit stabilization measurement approaches. Unit readiness was found to have a three-way interaction effect with unit stabilization and combat exposure on mean levels of PTS symptoms at six months post-deployment.
","abstract_html":"<p>Multilevel random coefficient modeling was employed to explore the moderation effects of unit stabilization on post-deployment coping among Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) veterans. Based on survey data collected on 3,832 U.S. Army soldiers belonging to 55 companies, unit-level variables were constructed and subsequent analysis was performed on only those unit members who had deployed (n = 2,507). This study found that among soldiers who had recently deployed with their current Brigade Combat Team (BCT) and who remained stabilized within their current company for a period at least as great as the post-deployment survey interval (i.e., ¡Ý 6 months at T1; ¡Ý 12 months at T2), unit stabilization had both main and cross-level moderation effects on the combat exposure¡ªdepression symptoms relationship among soldiers who experienced low levels of combat exposure (i.e., 1SD below the mean). Similarly, cross-level moderation effects were detected for unit stabilization on the combat exposure¡ªanxiety symptoms relationship, but only for those units experiencing low levels of combat exposure. Unit stabilization effects were detected for post-traumatic stress symptoms, but only at six months post-deployment. Finally, two social constructs (i.e., unit cohesion and unit readiness) were evaluated for their ability to predict psychological strain symptoms separate from and in combination with the dominant variant of four unit stabilization measurement approaches. Unit readiness was found to have a three-way interaction effect with unit stabilization and combat exposure on mean levels of PTS symptoms at six months post-deployment.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Whalen, Ronald James"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Ph.D.","degree_level":"Campus Access Dissertation","degree_discipline":"College of Social Work","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Arlene Bowers Andrews"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2011,"date_issued":"2011-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2011-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:38:07Z","subjects":["Social and Behavioral Sciences","Social Work"],"languages":[],"rights":["© 2011, Ronald James Whalen"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/1915","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Arlene Bowers Andrews"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Whalen, Ronald James"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["College of Social Work"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Campus Access Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Ph.D."]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Social and Behavioral Sciences","Social Work"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["© 2011, Ronald James Whalen"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/1915"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Multilevel random coefficient modeling was employed to explore the moderation effects of unit stabilization on post-deployment coping among Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) veterans. Based on survey data collected on 3,832 U.S. Army soldiers belonging to 55 companies, unit-level variables were constructed and subsequent analysis was performed on only those unit members who had deployed (n = 2,507). This study found that among soldiers who had recently deployed with their current Brigade Combat Team (BCT) and who remained stabilized within their current company for a period at least as great as the post-deployment survey interval (i.e., ¡Ý 6 months at T1; ¡Ý 12 months at T2), unit stabilization had both main and cross-level moderation effects on the combat exposure¡ªdepression symptoms relationship among soldiers who experienced low levels of combat exposure (i.e., 1SD below the mean). Similarly, cross-level moderation effects were detected for unit stabilization on the combat exposure¡ªanxiety symptoms relationship, but only for those units experiencing low levels of combat exposure. Unit stabilization effects were detected for post-traumatic stress symptoms, but only at six months post-deployment. Finally, two social constructs (i.e., unit cohesion and unit readiness) were evaluated for their ability to predict psychological strain symptoms separate from and in combination with the dominant variant of four unit stabilization measurement approaches. Unit readiness was found to have a three-way interaction effect with unit stabilization and combat exposure on mean levels of PTS symptoms at six months post-deployment.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Individual- and Unit-Level Coping Among Combat Veterans Subject to Army Force Stabilization System Personnel Policy"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Arlene Bowers Andrews"],"dc:creator":["Whalen, Ronald James"],"dc:description.abstract":["Multilevel random coefficient modeling was employed to explore the moderation effects of unit stabilization on post-deployment coping among Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) veterans. Based on survey data collected on 3,832 U.S. Army soldiers belonging to 55 companies, unit-level variables were constructed and subsequent analysis was performed on only those unit members who had deployed (n = 2,507). This study found that among soldiers who had recently deployed with their current Brigade Combat Team (BCT) and who remained stabilized within their current company for a period at least as great as the post-deployment survey interval (i.e., ¡Ý 6 months at T1; ¡Ý 12 months at T2), unit stabilization had both main and cross-level moderation effects on the combat exposure¡ªdepression symptoms relationship among soldiers who experienced low levels of combat exposure (i.e., 1SD below the mean). Similarly, cross-level moderation effects were detected for unit stabilization on the combat exposure¡ªanxiety symptoms relationship, but only for those units experiencing low levels of combat exposure. Unit stabilization effects were detected for post-traumatic stress symptoms, but only at six months post-deployment. Finally, two social constructs (i.e., unit cohesion and unit readiness) were evaluated for their ability to predict psychological strain symptoms separate from and in combination with the dominant variant of four unit stabilization measurement approaches. Unit readiness was found to have a three-way interaction effect with unit stabilization and combat exposure on mean levels of PTS symptoms at six months post-deployment.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/1915"],"dc:rights":["© 2011, Ronald James Whalen"],"dc:subject":["Social and Behavioral Sciences","Social Work"],"dc:title":["Individual- and Unit-Level Coping Among Combat Veterans Subject to Army Force Stabilization System Personnel Policy"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["College of Social Work"],"thesis:degree_level":["Campus Access Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Ph.D."]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:38:07Z"}