Abstract: The incidence of PTSD and other combat-related trauma symptoms among
more than 2 million veterans returning from Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and
Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) in Afghanistan suggests that many will experience
psychological challenges in adjusting to civilian life. However, the literature is sparse
about this new group of veterans. This study examined the relationships between peer
support, self-efficacy, and PTSD symptoms among 216 OIF/OEF veterans who had
attended 1 of 17 Vets4Vets peer support weekend retreats. Vets4Vets is a national
grassroots program whose mission is to improve the psychological well-being of
returning OIF/OEF veterans. Analysis of posttest changes indicate the generalizability of
previous research findings, based on other groups of trauma-affected groups, to
OIF/OEF veterans. As predicted, increased perceived peer support and self-efficacy
reduced PTSD symptoms. From a theoretical perspective, we found that both models of
self-efficacy, situation-specific (Bandura, 1997; Benight & Bandura, 2004) and general
self-efficacy (Schwarzer & Fuchs, 1996), mediated or explained the relationship between
peer support and PTSD symptoms. Implications for social work are discussed.
Keywords: Veterans, peer support, PTSD, social support, self-help, self-efficacy, general
self-efficacy