The Impact of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder on Partners and Children of Australian Vietnam Veterans

1999 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 841-847 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Westerink ◽  
Leah Giarratano
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Vietnam Veterans ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Somatic Symptoms ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Control Group ◽  
The Impact

Objective: This study explored the emotional and physical health of a group of families of Australian Vietnam veterans suffering posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The aim was to study the impact of PTSD upon the families of the sufferers. Method: The families of a random sample of Vietnam veterans receiving treatment at a specialist PTSD Unit were invited to participate in this study. Partners of the veterans and children over the age of 15 years were eligible to participate. Four selfreport psychometric inventories were administered assessing psychological distress, social climate within their families, self-esteem, and a range of lifestyle issues, including physical health. A control group, consisting of a sample of volunteers, was also surveyed. Results: The partners of the Vietnam veterans showed significantly higher levels of somatic symptoms, anxiety and insomnia, social dysfunction and depression than the control group. They reported significantly less cohesion and expressiveness in their families and significantly higher levels of conflict. The partners also had significantly lower levels of self-esteem. The children of the veterans reported significantly higher levels of conflict in their families. However, the children showed no significant differences on measures of psychological distress and self-esteem from their matched counterparts. Conclusions: These findings support overseas studies that indicate that the families of PTSD sufferers are also impacted by the disorder. In this study, the families of Australian Vietnam veterans experienced more conflict and their partners were significantly more psychologically distressed (i.e. somatic symptoms, anxiety, insomnia, social dysfunction, depression and low self-esteem) than a matched control group.

scholarly journals Psychological Distress In Canadian Men And Women With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Exploring The Differential Role Of Social Support

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ken Fowler ◽  
Nyissa Walsh ◽  
David Morgan
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Social Integration ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Matched Control ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Matched Control Group ◽  
Ptsd Diagnosis

Abstract Background: Individuals with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) experience significant levels of psychological distress which is often moderated by social support. PTSD prevalence and symptomology gender differences tend to exist, and this may have important implications for the potential differential impact of social support. Objectives: The primary objectives of this study were to explore levels of psychological distress and social support in a sample of 364 Canadian adults reporting a PTSD diagnosis by a health professional, and to examine the link between specific social support types and psychological distress overall, and for males and females separately. Methods: Using a cross-sectional, national data file, 117 male and 247 female Canadian adults aged 20-64 reporting PTSD were profiled using the Social Provisions Scale – Short Form (SPS-SF), and the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10), and compared to a sex, age and frequency matched control group without a PTSD diagnosis. Social support subtype scores were subsequently regressed onto psychological distress.Results: The PTSD sample had psychological distress scores that were more than double that of the matched control group, and were significantly lower in overall social support, and on each subscale. A diagnosis of PTSD was found to moderate the effect of social support on psychological distress, and while higher social integration and income predicted lower distress overall, higher reliable alliance scores, personal income, and lower age predicted lower distress for men, and higher social integration but lower guidance scores predicted lower distress for women.Conclusions: Social support subtypes were differentially associated with psychological distress experienced by those with PTSD depending on gender, and this may have important implications for clinical practice.

Posttraumatic stress disorder and psychiatric co-morbidity: symptoms in a random sample of female Bosnian refugees

2005 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 158-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristina Sundquist ◽  
Leena-Maria Johansson ◽  
Valeri DeMarinis ◽  
Sven-Erik Johansson ◽  
Jan Sundquist
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Random Sample ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Psychological Symptoms ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression ◽  
Co Morbidity ◽  
Bosnian Women

AbstractObjectivesThis study investigated psychological symptoms in Bosnian women 3–4 years after their arrival in Sweden.MethodsA simple random sample of 163 Bosnian women aged 19–59 was drawn from the Swedish populations register in 1996. The control group consisted of 392 Swedish-born women. Data were collected in face-to-face interviews. The Hopkins Symptom Checklist 25 (HSCL-25) and the Posttraumatic Symptom Scale (PTSS-10) were used to measure psychological symptoms of depression, anxiety, psychological distress, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Unconditional logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) for psychological symptoms after adjustment for age, country of birth, education, marital status, economic difficulties, social network, and feeling secure.ResultsThe prevalence of symptoms of PTSD was 28.3% among the Bosnian women. Bosnian women had significantly higher risks of symptoms of depression, anxiety, and psychological distress than Swedish-born women. For depression the odds ratio was 9.50 among Bosnian women.ConclusionsPsychiatric community interventions need to target Bosnian refugee women. Awareness among health-care workers who encounter these women in a clinical setting should be improved.

Posttraumatic stress disorder and psychological distress in Rwandan refugees living in Zambia

2021 ◽  
pp. 008124632110318
Author(s):  
Victor Mwanamwambwa ◽  
Basil Joseph Pillay
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
General Health Questionnaire ◽  
Psychological Needs ◽  
Impact Of Event Scale ◽  
Event Scale ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact

The present study investigated posttraumatic stress disorder and psychological distress among Rwandan refugees living in the townships of Lusaka, Zambia. Refugees are often exposed to trauma and violence which leads to a wide range of psychological distress and mental disorders. Two hundred and sixty-seven refugees participated in the study. The sample consisted of older and younger adult refugees, 128 (47.9%) males and 139 (52.1%) females, from Lusaka. The Impact of Event Scale–Revised and the General Health Questionnaire-28 were administered to all participants. The study found that a significant number of participants reported posttraumatic stress disorder and psychological distress. About 76.8% endorsed posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. In addition, 31.8% reported somatic symptoms, 36.7% anxiety or insomnia, 27.3% social dysfunction, and 22.8% severe depression. Lower education ( p < .01), larger family size ( p < .001), lack of financial support ( p < .05), and being unemployed ( p < .001) were positively associated with posttraumatic stress disorder and psychological distress. Intervention strategies aimed at improving the lives of refugees should be ongoing and must encompass a well-articulated, structured refugee policy that emphasizes mental health and psychological needs.

Ambulatory monitoring and physical health report in Vietnam veterans with and without chronic posttraumatic stress disorder

2003 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 329-335 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean C. Beckham ◽  
Casey T. Taft ◽  
Scott R. Vrana ◽  
Michelle E. Feldman ◽  
John C. Barefoot ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Vietnam Veterans ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Ambulatory Monitoring ◽  
Health Report

An investigation of the impact of posttraumatic stress disorder on physical health

2000 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy W. Wagner ◽  
Jessica Wolfe ◽  
Andrea Rotnitsky ◽  
Susan P. Proctor ◽  
Darin J. Erickson
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
The Impact

Childbirth and Posttraumatic Stress Responses

2006 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 259-267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eelco Olde ◽  
Rolf J. Kleber ◽  
Onno van der Hart ◽  
Victor J.M. Pop
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Responses ◽  
Rating Scales ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Experience ◽  
Event Scale ◽  
Self Rating ◽  
The Impact

Childbirth has been identified as a possible traumatic experience, leading to traumatic stress responses and even to the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The current study investigated the psychometric properties of the Dutch version of the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) in a group of women who recently gave birth (N = 435). In addition, a comparison was made between the original IES and the IES-R. The scale showed high internal consistency (α = 0.88). Using confirmatory factor analysis no support was found for a three-factor structure of an intrusion, an avoidance, and a hyperarousal factor. Goodness of fit was only reasonable, even after fitting one intrusion item on the hyperarousal scale. The IES-R correlated significantly with scores on depression and anxiety self-rating scales, as well as with scores on a self-rating scale of posttraumatic stress disorder. Although the IES-R can be used for studying posttraumatic stress reactions in women who recently gave birth, the original IES proved to be a better instrument compared to the IES-R. It is concluded that adding the hyperarousal scale to the IES-R did not make the scale stronger.

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