Emotional Disclosure and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms: Veteran and Spouse Reports

80 male Veterans and their spouses from the Utah National Guard/Reserves completed questionnaires examining the utility of emotional disclosure by combat Veterans to listeners with previous combat experience (e.g., fellow Service members and Veterans) and those without past combat exposure (e.g., family members, civilian friends). Greater disclosure of positive emotions regarding combat deployment to civilian support people predicted lower rates of PTSD. Greater disclosure to others who had experienced combat predicted greater symptoms of PTSD.