Harsh Parenting Among Veterans: Parents' Military-related PTSD, Mentalization, and Pre-military Trauma

Overview

Journal Front Psychol

Date 2024 Jan 3

PMID 38169711

Authors

Xiafei Wang

Qingyang Liu

Gabriel J Merrin

Amanda Keller

Dalhee Yoon

Ava Henderson

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objectives: Veteran parents experiencing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may resort to harsh parenting. The indirect pathway from parental military-related PTSD to harsh parenting, and the moderating role of parents' pre-military trauma histories, has been less explored. Informed by mentalization theory, as well as trauma-sensitive and posttraumatic growth perspectives, we aim to explore the associations between veteran parents' military-related PTSD, mentalization, harsh parenting, and prior trauma before military service.

Methods: Data were collected from an online research panel of 509 veteran parents with children under 10. We employed Structural Equation Models to test indirect and moderating effects.

Results: We identified an indirect effect of parental pre-mentalization from military PTSD to harsh parenting [corporal punishment: = 0.35, < 0.001, 95% CI (0.23, 0.46); psychological aggression: = 0.14, < 0.001, 95% CI (0.09, 0.19)]. Multi-group analysis on four parent groups (parents with only pre-military physical trauma, parents with only pre-military psychological trauma, parents with both pre-military physical and psychological trauma, and parents with no pre-military physical or psychological trauma) highlighted differences in these associations, particularly between parents with only pre-military physical trauma and those without any physical and psychological trauma. The military-related PTSD effects on psychological aggression, corporal punishment, and pre-mentalization were all significantly higher for parents without pre-military physical and psychological trauma.

Conclusion: Modifying parents' interpretation of their child's mental states can potentially counteract the effects of veterans' military PTSD on harsh parenting. Family-based programs should be created considering veteran parents' pre-military trauma histories.

Citing Articles

Understanding and supporting parenting in parents seeking PTSD treatment: a qualitative study.

Meijer L, Thomaes K, Karadeniz B, Finkenauer C Eur J Psychotraumatol. 2025; 16(1):2468039.

PMID: 40012487 PMC: 11869331. DOI: 10.1080/20008066.2025.2468039.

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