Publication year
2017
Citation Title
Resilience and knowledge of PTSD symptoms in military spouses.
Journal Name
Traumatology
Journal Volume
23
Issue Number
1
Page Numbers
43-48
DOI
10.1037/trm0000093
Summary
Military spouses are in a unique position to detect changes in behavior in their Service member spouse. The current study assessed if military spousal knowledge of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and access to resources about PTSD was related to a higher level of resilience. Results suggest that access to helpful resources increases resilience.
Key Findings
Availability and usage of helpful resources on PTSD increased spousal resilience by 1.7 times.
The total number of resources a spouse received information from was a significant predictor of resilience.
Knowledge of the signs and symptoms of PTSD was not a significant predictor of resilience.
Implications for Program Leaders
Disseminate information to military spouses regarding possible signs and symptoms of PTSD and where individuals can find help for these problems
Provide workshops to help military spouses learn about available supportive services to help with behavioral changes in Service members
Tailor outreach efforts to spouses of Service members to increase their knowledge of resources for PTSD
Implications for Policy Makers
Continue to support programs for military spouses that address the identification of PTSD symptoms and the availability of resources
Recommend integrating PTSD education into existing service delivery systems for military families
Encourage collaboration among DoD programs and community-based organizations to help provide multiple resources with quality education on PTSD to military spouses
Methods
Recruitment was conducted primarily through social media, with researchers asking existing participants to recruit other participants from among their acquaintances. The survey was posted online for six weeks.
While 176 military spouses completed a portion of the survey, 127 complete surveys were included in the final sample.
Data were examined to determine whether PTSD knowledge, PTSD resources, and the total number of resources available predicted the level of resilience in military spouses.
Participants
All of the 127 final respondents were female, and the majority were White (95%), and between the ages of 31-35 years old (31.5%).
Seventy percent of respondents reported being married to officers, while 30% were married to enlisted Service members.
All branches of service were represented, including Army (9.4%), Navy (11%), Air Force (66.9%), Marine Corp (4.7%) and Coast Guard (1.6%).
The majority of respondents reported that their military spouse had not sought treatment for PTSD (88.2%).
Limitations
Deployment was not considered as a variable in analyses, so the impact of this particular military stressor is not known.
The small, convenience sample was drawn non-randomly from the internet, so results may not generalize to the wider military population.
Since only female spouses were included, results don't generalize to families where the male is the military spouse.
Avenues for Future Research
Include other key military variables, such as deployment, that could affect the outcome of the findings
Recruit a larger, random sample of military spouses in order to increase the ability to generalize the study results
Ensure male military spouses are adequately represented in future samples
Focus
Multiple Branches
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
The spouse of a military service member is in a special position to understand the behaviors of a service member better than anyone. These individuals live with the military members and are able to detect changes in behavior and increased stress reactions. Yet, there is limited published research focusing on spouses’ levels of awareness of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and PTSD symptoms. This study was conducted to explore 2 areas of interest. The research team first wanted to determine if military spouses with knowledge of PTSD signs and symptoms demonstrated a higher level of resilience, and second, if military spouses with more access to helpful resources, for those experiencing symptoms of PTSD, demonstrated a higher level of resilience. A total of 127 spouses completed an online survey to assess the level of resilience possessed by military spouses in relation to their knowledge of PTSD symptoms and their access to resources. Resilience was measured by using the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). Results showed that as the knowledge of PTSD symptoms and access to helpful resources increased, the ability to be resilient is increased by over 1.5 times. The study collects information from this important, hard to reach population and offers to fill a knowledge gap on this topic.
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