Gender Differences in Perceived Organizational Support among Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a well-studied issue within the U.S. military, with data showing military personnel face a higher risk of trauma than the civilian population. Many veterans and service members suffer from PTSD related to their military experiences (Renshaw, 2011). As research has largely focused on protective factors such as social and familial support, little attention has been given to organizational support (Meredith et al., 2011). Perceived organizational support (POS) refers to how individuals perceive the support they receive from their employers, with the military as the primary employer for veterans. This study was designed to explore whether gender influences veterans’ perceptions of organizational support using the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) and Survey of Perceived Organizational Support (SPOS) in a multiple t test design. Results showed male veterans were more likely to report PTSD than were female veterans, and veterans with PTSD perceived less organizational support. However, gender did not significantly affect the relationship between PTSD and POS in this sample. Implications of the findings are discussed.