U.S. veterans are frequently encouraged to ease the transition back to civilian life by connecting with loved ones through online platforms like Facebook. Yet, Jason Thatcher and his co-authors have found that social media usage may have unintended consequences for veterans with PTSD who are job searching.

When veterans included cues of PTSD in online posts, they were stigmatized by recruiters who stereotyped them as being a potential threat in the workplace. This stigma ultimately contributed to lower hiring ratings for these veterans.

Veterans are urged to be mindful of how unintended PTSD disclosure over social media may affect their job prospects.