Publication year
2015
Citation Title
Family composition and symptom severity among veterans with comorbid PTSD and substance use disorders.
Journal Name
Addictive Behaviors
Journal Volume
50
Issue Number
NULL
Page Numbers
117-123
DOI
10.1016/j.addbeh.2015.06.019
Summary
Parents often encounter multiple unique challenges and stressors in their day-to-day experience of raising children that may exacerbate certain mental health disorders. This study examined the relationship between having children at home and symptoms of co-occurring posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorder (SUD) for Veterans. Results indicated that the presence of children at home is associated with increases in PTSD symptoms and marijuana use.
Key Findings
Service members with co-occurring PTSD and SUD with children in the home had more severe PTSD symptoms than those without children in the home.
Those with children at home reported using marijuana significantly more often than those without children at home.
Alcohol consumption did not differ between Service members with and without children at home.
Implications for Program Leaders
Develop parenting classes for Service members to teach skills for interacting with children in a positive manner in order to decrease relational stress
Provide opportunities for military parents with mental health diagnoses to meet together to discuss the unique challenges of those co-occurring experiences
Create structured activities for children of Service members with mental health disorders while their parents attend mental health appointments
Implications for Policy Makers
Encourage training for professionals who work with military families regarding the unique stressors and challenges of parenting with a mental health disorder
Support the inclusion of the whole family in treatment for Service members’ mental health challenges
Recommend collaboration between adult-focused and child-focused agencies to enable them to offer care that meets the needs of the whole family
Methods
Participants were recruited through newspaper and internet advertisements as well as flyers at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center, other mental health clinics, and universities.
Participants completed questionnaires regarding demographics, PTSD symptoms, substance use, and addiction severity.
Data were analyzed to determine whether symptom severity varied based on the presence of children in the participants’ households.
Participants
Participants were 94 Veterans or Service members seeking treatment for co-occurring PTSD and SUD, 27% of whom had minor children living at home.
Most of the participants were male (92%) and White (52%) or Black (45%).
The vast majority of the sample (98%) were Veterans or inactive Reservists, but 2% were Active Duty Service members.
Limitations
The sample was primarily Veterans or inactive Reservists, so it is unclear whether results can be generalized to Active Duty Service members.
Only individuals with co-occurring PTSD and SUD were included; these same relationships may not exist for individuals with only one diagnosis.
Men made up the majority of the sample. The association between having children at home and the severity of mental health disorders may be different for women.
Avenues for Future Research
Investigate whether responses to mental health treatment vary based on the presence of children in the home
Examine the effect of including family members in mental health treatments
Explore possible mechanisms underlying the relationship between parenting and increased PTSD symptoms
Focus
Multiple Branches
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorders (SUD) frequently co-occur and affect a substantial proportion of military Veterans. Although the impact of parental PTSD and SUD on child development is well-documented, little is known about the influence of family composition on PTSD/SUD symptom severity. The present study investigated children in the home as an independent risk factor for symptomseverity in a sample of treatment-seeking Veterans (N= 94; 92% male) with comorbid PTSD/SUD. Twenty seven percent of the sample hadminor children (age 18 or younger) living in the home. Veterans with children in the home evidenced significantly higher PTSD symptomatology as measured by the Clinical Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS; M = 82.65 vs. M=72.17; t=?2.18; p b .05), and reported using marijuana more frequently than Veterans without children in the home (34% vs. 13% of past 60 days; t=?2.35, p b .05). In a multivariate model, having children in the home accounted for unique variance (?R2=.07) in PTSD severity after accounting for a range of covariates; however, having children in the home did not account for unique variance in substance use. Directions for future research as well as potential clinical implications for parents seeking treatment for PTSD/SUD are discussed.
Abstract Document
PRTW Document
Attach