Happiness, Meaning in Life, and PTSD Symptoms Among National Guard Personnel: A Multilevel Analysis

Protective factors associated with reductions in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have received much less empirical attention than risk factors for PTSD. Happiness and meaning in life are two protective factors that are inversely correlated with PTSD symptom severity, but research to date has primarily considered associations at the participant level, ignoring group-level effects. As a result, little is known about how various characteristics of military units may impact military personnel exposed to traumatic and/or stressful life experiences. In a sample of 997 National Guard personnel assigned to 40 units, we examined associations among happiness, meaning in life, and PTSD symptoms at both the participant and unit level using multilevel modeling. Higher levels of happiness at both the participant and unit level significantly moderated the effect of lifetime trauma exposure with PTSD symptom severity. Meaning in life at both the participant and the unit levels were inversely correlated with PTSD symptom severity. Results suggest that service members tend to report less severe PTSD symptoms if they experience positive emotions more frequently, have a stronger sense of purpose, and are assigned to units with higher levels of happiness and meaning in life. This protective effect may be due to the “transfer” of positive cognitive–affective states from one unit member to another.