Risk and Resilience and Factors - Case Study Example

The paper "Risk and Resilience and Factors" is a perfect example of a case study on social science. In case, one Specialist Ramirez has a strong social support system. This is a resilient factor because it offers love, friendship and an incentive for the veteran to survive the harsh conditions of war. These include the sendoff party before joining the army, the strong bond with his combat team which kept him alive, and the warm welcome he received on returning home after the war. Without the strong support system, he would have been susceptible to the few risk factors that might have affected his psychological health such as witnessing the violent death of two of his comrades. According to Kaylor et al., (1987), “exposure to combat, including being fired on and witnessing the death of fellow unit members, is the stressor that has dominated military veteran research, with implications for both acute and chronic stress reactions. 

In case two, the only resilient factor was the counseling Specialist Johnson received during his deployment after he went to retrieve the burnt remains of a young girl. It helped him cope with the horrific experience. However, the glaring risk factor he faced was the absence of any social support system from family and friends. The tragedies witnessed in his life prior to his deployments such as facing hurricane Katrina and his parents’ divorce left him alienated. In addition, the constant criticism from the Major and the absence of any warm welcome from his family made him vulnerable to stress.
In conclusion, the veteran in case two has a greater risk of developing a combat-related psychological disorder. This is because of the absence of a strong social support system that might have served as an outlet for his pent up emotions arising from his handling the burnt remains of the victim during the war. According to McCarroll, Ursano, & Fullerton (1995) and Sutker, Uddo, Brailey, Vasterling, & Errera (1994) “Prior research with veterans of the 1990–1991 Gulf War, moreover, has shown that the handling of human remains was especially disturbing.”  Read More