Finding Strength in the Struggle: The Impact of Resilience on Life Satisfaction Among Veterans with Mental Illness

Background: Veterans living with mental illness often face challenges that impact their overall life satisfaction and adjustment to civilian life. While resilience is widely considered a protective factor, limited research has examined its role in conjunction with personality traits, psychosocial factors, and demographic characteristics. Purpose: This cross-sectional study examined the associations between resilience and life satisfaction among U.S. veterans with mental illnesses, while accounting for personality dimensions, demographic variables, and psychosocial factors. Methods: Secondary data from 156 veterans diagnosed with mental illness were analyzed. Hierarchical linear regression was used to assess the relationship between resilience and life satisfaction, controlling for relevant covariates Results: Resilience demonstrated the strongest positive association with life satisfaction (β = .379, p < .001). Additional significant associations were observed for agreeableness (β = .170, p = .040), marital or cohabitation status (β = .158, p = .024), and age, which was negatively associated (β = â??.188, p = .011). A gender difference in resilience was also noted, with male participants reporting higher resilience scores than females (p = .049). Discussion/Conclusion: Findings highlight resilience as a key factor linked to life satisfaction among veterans with mental illnesses, supporting the need for targeted, individualized interventions. Incorporating personality traits and gender-specific considerations into resilience-building programs may enhance their effectiveness and relevance. Recommendations: Future initiatives should integrate personalized, evidence-informed approaches to resilience development, to better address the diverse needs of veterans. Keywords: Veterans, resilience, life satisfaction, mental illness, personality, psychosocial factors