Do Secondary Trauma Symptoms in Spouses of Combat-Exposed National Guard Soldiers Mediate Impacts of Soldiers' Trauma Exposure on Their Children?

An exploratory investigation of the associated effects of combat exposure on Soldiers assigned to a Midwestern Army National Guard unit was conducted. In addition, this study tested a hypothetical model which asserted that there are secondary and contributing factors of combat exposure on Soldiers' spouses and children. Overall there is initial evidence to suggest that immediate family members of combat-exposed Soldiers with high levels of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are at risk for developing secondary traumatic stress.