Abstract

JESUS, Joana Correia  and  LEAL, Isabel. Social support, psychopathology and COVID-19 in the portuguese armed and security forces. Psic., Saúde & Doenças [online]. 2022, vol.23, n.2, pp.419-425.  Epub Sep 30, 2022. ISSN 1645-0086.  https://doi.org/10.15309/22psd230209.

The members of Armed Forces and Security Forces experience situations of high risk to physical and mental health. Social resources are needed to protect their mental health, also because of the circumstance of carrying a weapon and being perceived as authority figures. The aim of this study is to evaluate the levels of social support and psychopathology in Covid-19 times and to explore which dimensions of social support can predict levels of psychopathology. The sample recruited resulted in 325 participants. Were applied the Social Support Satisfaction Scale (ESSS) and the Psychopathology Scale (BSI). The results show strong correlations between psychopathology, social support and exposure to Covid-19. Regression analyzes showed that lower levels of intimacy and social activities contributed significantly to higher levels of psychopathology. These findings sustains the importance of social support as a protective factor of psychopathology in members of Security and Armed Forces, in pandemic times.

Keywords : Mental health; Military; Police officers; Social support; Pandemic.

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