Veterans Are Not the Only Ones Suffering from Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms: What Do We Know About Dependents' Secondary Traumatic Stress?

Overview

Journal Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol

Specialties Psychiatry
Public Health
Social Sciences

Date 2016 Oct 23

PMID 27770173

Citations 9

Authors

Julia Diehle

Samantha K Brooks

Neil Greenberg

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Purpose: Previous research has mainly focused on veterans' mental health problems, especially on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Less is known about the impact that the veteran's experienced potentially traumatic events (PTEs) might have on their significant others. Therefore, we reviewed the scientific literature to find out what is known about the prevalence of secondary traumatic stress (STS) in significant others of veterans.

Methods: We systematically searched Pubmed, PsycINFO, Embase, Cochrane Library and PILOTS for relevant articles. This search resulted in 3100 records from which we included 48 articles.

Results: Two studies that reported on parental PTSD did not find evidence that parents were affected by their offspring's experience. Nine studies that reported on PTSD in mainly adult children of veterans found only scant evidence that children were affected by their parent's experienced PTE. Twenty-seven studies investigated PTSD symptoms in partners of veterans. Here results varied largely between studies with PTSD rates between 0 and 51 %.

Conclusions: Overall, we found the strongest evidence of STS in partners of help-seeking veterans with PTSD. The lack of clarity provided by the currently available evidence suggests a pressing need for further work to examine this subject in more detail.

Citing Articles

Family accommodation in PTSD: Proposed considerations and distinctions from the established transdiagnostic literature.

Reuman L, Thompson-Hollands J Clin Psychol (New York). 2024; 30(4):453-464.

PMID: 38390036 PMC: 10881198. DOI: 10.1111/cpsp.12375.

Post-traumatic stress disorder: a psychiatric disorder requiring urgent attention.

Du J, Diao H, Zhou X, Zhang C, Chen Y, Gao Y Med Rev (2021). 2023; 2(3):219-243.

PMID: 37724188 PMC: 10388753. DOI: 10.1515/mr-2022-0012.

Long-Term Consequences of War Captivity in Military Veterans.

Jukic M, Malenica L, duricic V, Talapko J, Lukinac J, Jukic M Healthcare (Basel). 2023; 11(14).

PMID: 37510434 PMC: 10379024. DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11141993.

Experiences of Wives of Veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Qualitative Study.

Oudi D, Vagharseyyedin S, Nakhaei M, Esmaeili A, Mohtasham S Ethiop J Health Sci. 2023; 33(2):337-346.

PMID: 37484186 PMC: 10358391. DOI: 10.4314/ejhs.v33i2.19.

The mental health and wellbeing of spouses, partners and children of emergency responders: A systematic review.

Sharp M, Solomon N, Harrison V, Gribble R, Cramm H, Pike G PLoS One. 2022; 17(6):e0269659.

PMID: 35704626 PMC: 9200352. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269659.

References

Motta R, Suozzi J, Joseph J . Assessment of secondary traumatization with an emotional Stroop task. Percept Mot Skills. 1994; 78(3 Pt 2):1274. DOI: 10.2466/pms.1994.78.3c.1274. View

Zerach G, Kanat-Maymon Y, Aloni R, Solomon Z . The role of fathers' psychopathology in the intergenerational transmission of captivity trauma: A twenty three-year longitudinal study. J Affect Disord. 2015; 190:84-92. DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2015.09.072. View

Lester P, Peterson K, Reeves J, Knauss L, Glover D, Mogil C . The long war and parental combat deployment: effects on military children and at-home spouses. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2010; 49(4):310-20. PMC: 2875082. View

Greene T, Lahav Y, Bronstein I, Solomon Z . The role of ex-POWs' PTSD symptoms and trajectories in wives' secondary traumatization. J Fam Psychol. 2014; 28(5):666-74. DOI: 10.1037/a0037848. View

Dekel R, Solomon Z . Secondary traumatization among wives of Israeli POWs: the role of POWs' distress. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2005; 41(1):27-33. DOI: 10.1007/s00127-005-0002-6. View

Collinge W, Kahn J, Soltysik R . Promoting reintegration of National Guard veterans and their partners using a self-directed program of integrative therapies: a pilot study. Mil Med. 2013; 177(12):1477-85. PMC: 3645256. DOI: 10.7205/milmed-d-12-00121. View

Erbes C, Meis L, Polusny M, Arbisi P . Psychiatric distress among spouses of National Guard soldiers prior to combat deployment. Ment Health Fam Med. 2013; 9(3):161-9. PMC: 3622908. View

Blow A, Gorman L, Ganoczy D, Kees M, Kashy D, Valenstein M . Hazardous drinking and family functioning in National Guard veterans and spouses postdeployment. J Fam Psychol. 2013; 27(2):303-13. DOI: 10.1037/a0031881. View

Lambert J, Engh R, Hasbun A, Holzer J . Impact of posttraumatic stress disorder on the relationship quality and psychological distress of intimate partners: a meta-analytic review. J Fam Psychol. 2012; 26(5):729-37. DOI: 10.1037/a0029341. View

10.

Hines L, Sundin J, Rona R, Wessely S, Fear N . Posttraumatic stress disorder post Iraq and Afghanistan: prevalence among military subgroups. Can J Psychiatry. 2015; 59(9):468-79. PMC: 4168809. DOI: 10.1177/070674371405900903. View

11.

Dirkzwager A, Bramsen I, Ader H, van der Ploeg H . Secondary traumatization in partners and parents of Dutch peacekeeping soldiers. J Fam Psychol. 2005; 19(2):217-26. DOI: 10.1037/0893-3200.19.2.217. View

12.

Caspi Y, Slobodin O, Kammerer N, Enosh G, Shorer S, Klein E . Bedouin wives on the home front: living with men serving in the Israel Defense Forces. J Trauma Stress. 2010; 23(6):682-90. DOI: 10.1002/jts.20581. View

13.

Yehuda R, Bell A, Bierer L, Schmeidler J . Maternal, not paternal, PTSD is related to increased risk for PTSD in offspring of Holocaust survivors. J Psychiatr Res. 2008; 42(13):1104-11. PMC: 2612639. DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2008.01.002. View

14.

Franciskovic T, Stevanovic A, Jelusic I, Roganovic B, Klaric M, Grkovic J . Secondary traumatization of wives of war veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder. Croat Med J. 2007; 48(2):177-84. PMC: 2080512. View

15.

Church D, Brooks A . CAM and energy psychology techniques remediate PTSD symptoms in veterans and spouses. Explore (NY). 2014; 10(1):24-33. DOI: 10.1016/j.explore.2013.10.006. View

16.

Klaric M, Franciskovic T, Cerni Obrdalj E, Petric D, Britvic D, Zovko N . Psychiatric and health impact of primary and secondary traumatization in wives of veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder. Psychiatr Danub. 2012; 24(3):280-6. View

17.

Glenn D, Beckham J, Feldman M, Kirby A, Hertzberg M, Moore S . Violence and hostility among families of Vietnam veterans with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder. Violence Vict. 2002; 17(4):473-89. DOI: 10.1891/vivi.17.4.473.33685. View

18.

Caspi Y, Klein E . In the aftermath of trauma: a community study of Bedouin IDF servicemen and their families. Isr J Psychiatry Relat Sci. 2013; 49(3):167-77. View

19.

Ein-Dor T, Doron G, Solomon Z, Mikulincer M, Shaver P . Together in pain: attachment-related dyadic processes and posttraumatic stress disorder. J Couns Psychol. 2010; 57(3):317-27. DOI: 10.1037/a0019500. View

20.

Kok B, Herrell R, Thomas J, Hoge C . Posttraumatic stress disorder associated with combat service in Iraq or Afghanistan: reconciling prevalence differences between studies. J Nerv Ment Dis. 2012; 200(5):444-50. DOI: 10.1097/NMD.0b013e3182532312. View