Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion and Population Health
Population Health Research Brief Series
Resilience is Low among Both Military and Non-Military Populations with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Kelsey E. Roberts, Janet M. Wilmoth, Shannon M. Monnat
June 2022
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects the lives of 12 million people in the United States. While commonly thought of in relation to military personnel and veterans, PTSD is also common among the general public.
Resilience - the ability to cope with stressful events - is essential for recovering from PTSD.
This data slice uses data from the National Wellbeing Survey to examine resilience among U.S. working-age adults with and without PTSD by their relationship to the military. Results show that those with PTSD have less resilience than those who have not experienced PTSD. In addition, those with military experience are more resilient than those without military experience.