Psychosocial stress and major depression: A comparative analysis of Canadian Armed Forces personnel and members of the general Canadian population

Social antecedents can precipitate and maintain susceptibility to a mental disorder (Pilgrim 2005). Social structures and people's locations within them, for instance, provide a context in which repeated experiences may deteriorate mental health (Pearlin 1989; Aneshensel 1992). If taxing conditions (stressors) are not mediated or moderated, mental distress may arise. It is not necessarily permanent, but it is emotionally, psychologically and/or socially uncomfortable, and a precursor to the manifestation of a mental disorder. By mediating/moderating stressor distress it is possible to reduce the likelihood of a major illness. Using comparative data from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) cycle 1.2 and the CCHS 1.2 – CF Component, this research investigates the relationship between psychosocial stress processes and past 12 month major depressive episode for those in the general Canadian population (GCP) and for Canadian Forces members (CF). And as part of the research framework, Wheaton's (1985) additive and multiplicative stress-buffering hypotheses are also tested. Based on the results, I can conclude that the psychosocial stress process operates similarly for CF personnel and GCP members. As well, the salutary effects of coping resources are not contingent on the level of a stressor, but apply equally across all levels of exposure to distress, and can reduce one's risk of a past 12 month major depressive episode.