Publication year
2017
Citation Title
A dyadic perspective on PTSD symptoms’ associations with couple functioning and parenting stress in first-time parents.
Journal Name
Couple and Family Psychology: Research and Practice
Journal Volume
6
Issue Number
2
Page Numbers
117-132
DOI
10.1037/cfp0000079
Summary
Family functioning may be negatively influenced by mental health problems including Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A total of 250 couples who just had their first child together completed questionnaires regarding PTSD severity, couple functioning, and parenting stress, and at least one person in each couple had experienced traumatic life events. Results revealed that PTSD symptoms were negatively associated with couple functioning and parenting stress from both husbands' and wives' perspectives.
Key Findings
Participants' own PTSD symptoms were negatively associated with their self-perceived couple functioning.
Participants who perceived their partners as having more PTSD symptoms were more likely to report worse couple functioning, and this was particularly true for husbands.
PTSD symptoms were positively associated with parenting stress for both mothers and fathers.
Implications for Military Professionals
Participate in professional trainings to learn more about the associations between PTSD symptoms and family functioning
Help Service members with PTSD and their families develop strategies to cope with stress caused by PTSD symptoms
Implications for Program Leaders
Offer marriage education workshops to help Service members and their spouses learn ways to improve communication and problem-solving in relationships
Provide support groups for Service members who experienced PTSD symptoms so that they can help each other
Implications for Policy Makers
Raise awareness regarding the associations between Service members' PTSD symptoms and military family well-being
Encourage training for professionals who work with military families about the potential detrimental effects of PTSD on parenting and couple relationship
Methods
Participants were recruited through OB/GYN clinics and childbirth education programs and they were part of a large transition-to-parenthood program.
Measures included questions related to trauma exposure, PTSD symptom severity, perceived couple functioning, and parenting stress.
Data were analyzed to examine husbands' and wives' perceptions of the associations between PTSD symptoms, couple functioning, and parenting stress.
Participants
Participants were 250 cohabiting heterosexual couples who just had their first child together; at least one person in each couple had experienced a traumatic event (e.g., natural disasters, sexual assault).
The average ages of mothers and fathers were 30.92 years (SD = 4.27) and 32.81 years (SD = 5.24), respectively.
Participants were mostly White and well-educated; the race/ethnicity and education level breakdown of participants was not reported.
Limitations
The PTSD symptoms were self-reported and may not represent an actual diagnosis.
Participants in the study were all heterosexual couples and were predominantly White; therefore, the sample may not represent the general population.
The cross-sectional design of the study does not allow for drawing causal conclusions, therefore it is not clear whether PTSD symptoms caused couple functioning and parenting stress.
Avenues for Future Research
Measure PTSD symptoms using clinical interviews to obtain accurate data concerning participants' PTSD severity
Recruit participants that represent a diverse sample with respect to race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status
Conduct longitudinal studies to explore the causal relationships between PTSD symptoms and family functioning
Focus
Civilian
Population Focus
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms are associated with disruptions in both couple functioning and parenting, and limited research suggests that, among military couples, perceptions of couple functioning and parenting stress are a function of both one’s own and one’s partner’s mental health symptoms. However, this work has not been generalized to civilian couples, and little is known about the associations between PTSD symptoms and family adjustment in specific family developmental contexts. We examined PTSD symptoms’ associations with perceived couple functioning and parenting stress within a dyadic context in civilian couples who had participated in a randomized controlled trial of a universal, couple-based transition to parenthood program and at least one member of the couple reported having experienced a Criterion A1 traumatic event. Results of actor–partner interdependence models revealed that parents’ own and partners’ PTSD symptoms were negatively associated with perceived couple functioning; contrary to expectation, the association of partners’ PTSD symptoms with perceived couple functioning was strongest among men who received the intervention. A parent’s own PTSD symptoms were positively associated with parenting stress for both men and women and were unexpectedly strongest for men who received the intervention. Partner PTSD symptoms were also positively associated with increased parenting stress for both men and women. Findings support a dyadic conceptualization of the associations between spouses’ PTSD symptoms and family outcomes during the transition to parenthood and suggest that participating in a couple-based, psychoeducational program during this phase in the family life cycle may be particularly salient for men.
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