Exploring the relationship between sense of belonging and perceived well-being in Canadian Army reservists

Abstract

Introduction: Army reservists are embedded in two worlds, one military and another civilian, making them “dual citizens” of two distinct but interconnected communities. This research sought to determine how a sense of belonging to a reserve unit, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), and the local community relates to army reservists’ overall well-being. Close attention was paid to the role of social support and resilience as possible mediators in this relationship. Methods: A total of 1,154 CAF army reservists completed a survey assessing their sense of belonging, resilience, social support, and well-being. Path analyses were computed to determine the relationship between sense of belonging (in the community, reserve unit, or CAF) and overall well-being, with resilience and social support as mediators in this relationship. The sample was randomly split in half to determine whether the results of the path analyses could be replicated across two samples. Results: The results of path analyses indicated that reservists who felt a greater sense of belonging to their communities reported higher levels of overall well-being (i.e., direct effect). This relationship was partially due to their higher levels of social support and resilience (i.e., indirect effects). Similar results were not obtained in the case of belonging to one’s reserve unit and the CAF. Findings are explained through the lens of the centrality, or lack of centrality, of reserve identity. Discussion: Findings suggest a sense of belonging to the community plays a positive role in enhancing the well-being of Canadian Army reservists.