Authors:
Elizabeth Oghenetega Wadi, Nweke Dorathy Chikaodi, Godsent Daniel Madighi, Manuel Enrique Chenet Zuta, Denis Çelçima, Asmawi Bin Hashim

Addresses:
Department of Psychology, Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. Department of Adult Education and Community Development, Faculty of Education, Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. Department of Business Administration, Universidad Nacional Tecnológica de Lima Sur, Villa El Salvador, Lima, Peru. Department of Psychology, University for Business and Technology, Pristina, Kosovo. Faculty of Management and Economics, Sultan Idris Education University, Tanjong Malim, Perak, Malaysia.

Abstract:

This research assessed the effect of exposure to combat and resilience on the psychological well-being of military personnel based in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. A targeted sample of 240 soldiers with combat experience was drawn from a larger pool of 600, using Taro Yamane’s method to determine the sample size at a 95% confidence level. The study used standardized tools, including the Nicholson McBride Resilience Questionnaire (NMRQ), the Combat Exposure Reporting Scale (CERS), the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Researchers collected data through structured surveys and analyzed them using correlation and multiple regression in SPSS. The results indicated that combat exposure was a significant predictor of mental health outcomes, accounting for 65.6% of the variance, while resilience independently explained a moderate 28.8%. When examined together, combat exposure remained the stronger predictor, reducing resilience's unique predictive value. These findings highlight the urgent need for military mental health programs that tackle the psychological effects of combat exposure while simultaneously fostering resilience as a supportive rather than primary protective factor.

Keywords: Psychological Well-Being; Military Personnel; Mental Health; General Health Questionnaire (GHQ); Combat Exposure; Multiple Regression; Standardized Tools.

Received on: 28/03/2025, Revised on: 17/05/2025, Accepted on: 02/08/2025, Published on: 05/06/2026

DOI: 10.69888/FTSHS.2026.000762

FMDB Transactions on Sustainable Humanities and Society, 2026 Vol. 3 No. 2, Pages: 104-112

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