Associations Between Perceived Social Reactions to Trauma-Related Experiences With PTSD and Depression Among Veterans Seeking PTSD Treatment

An investigation of treatment-seeking Veterans' and the associations between perceived social reactions to their trauma-related experiences and their mental health diagnosis was conducted. The differences found between the influences of three aspects of social acknowledgment: Recognition, General Disapproval (e.g. perceiving that the general society does not understand the survivor's responses), and Family Disapproval (e.g. perceiving that the family underestimates the survivor's traumas or believes that the survivor's reactions are exaggerated), on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depressive symptoms indicate the multifaceted, complex role of social processes following trauma.