Publication year
2013
Citation Title
PTSD and marital satisfaction in military service members: Examining the simultaneous roles of childhood sexual abuse and combat exposure.
Journal Name
Child Abuse & Neglect
Journal Volume
37
Issue Number
11
Page Numbers
379-385
DOI
10.1016/j.chiabu.2013.05.006
Summary
Survey data from National Guard and Reserve Service members were utilized to examine the role of childhood sexual abuse on both posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity and marital satisfaction while accounting for the well-known predictor of combat exposure to both outcomes. Results suggest that child sexual abuse has unique, independent effects on both PTSD symptom severity and marital satisfaction.
Key Findings
The association of childhood sexual abuse with PTSD symptom severity and marital satisfaction appears to be independent of combat exposure.
Childhood sexual abuse and PTSD symptom severity both had negative effects on marital satisfaction, while combat exposure had no significant effect on marital satisfaction.
Childhood sexual abuse and combat exposure both had negative, indirect effects (through PTSD symptom severity) on marital satisfaction.
Implications for Program Leaders
Educate military couples regarding how PTSD symptoms and a history of child sexual abuse may impact marital relationships and satisfaction
Offer support groups to Service members and their families who are coping with the adverse impact of childhood sexual abuse on relationship functioning
Publish information regarding resources and services available to military families who have experience childhood sexual abuse
Implications for Policy Makers
Recommend training for program staff working with military families about the adverse impact of child sexual abuse on both Service members individually and on their relationships
Continue to support programs and services that help military couples cope with childhood sexual abuse and combat exposure
Support programs that screen for mental health issues following deployment
Methods
Participants were recruited from eight voluntary workshops on marital relationships offered to Utah National Guard/Reserve Service Members in 2007 and 2008.
Service members completed questionnaires, and responses from married participants who reported a deployment between 2001 and 2008 were included in the analysis.
Approximately 490 Service members attend the workshops and 270 opted to participate in the current study.
Participants
Two hundred eighteen National Guard or Reserve Veterans deployed between 2001-2008 to Iraq (65%), Afghanistan (20%), other Middle East locations (8%), and non-Middle East locations (8%).
Sample was 98% male, 91% White (7% self-identified Latino/Latina), 80% Army, and 20% Air Force.
Seven percent (n = 15) endorsed a history of childhood sexual abuse.
Limitations
The highly homogeneous nature of the sample limits generalizability to other populations.
Causal determinations were not possible due to the design; only presence of associations between variables could be determined.
Only 15 participants (7%) reported a history of childhood sexual abuse, and this relatively small percentage was used as a basis for comparison with the 93% who did not report childhood sexual abuse.
Avenues for Future Research
Continue to examine how childhood sexual abuse experiences impact military and post-military functioning
Include a more diverse (gender, military branch, ethnicity, marriage status) sample to improve representative value of findings
Examine the effects of more recent military sexual trauma on psychological functioning and relational satisfaction
Focus
Multiple Branches
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Component
Abstract
Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is relatively common and is associated with a multitude of negative outcomes in adulthood, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and lower marital satisfaction. However, CSA has been understudied in military samples. The purpose of the present study was to examine the relative contributions of CSA and combat exposure to PTSD and marital satisfaction. Two hundred eighteen National Guard/Reserve veterans who deployed overseas between 2001 and 2008 completed self-report measures of CSA, marital satisfaction, combat exposure, and PTSD symptom severity. Data were analyzed using linear regression and path analysis to evaluate a comprehensive model including all variables. CSA accounted for unique variance in PTSD symptom severity independent of combat exposure. CSA also had a negative direct association with marital satisfaction, independent of combat exposure and PTSD symptom severity. In contrast, combat exposure had only a negative indirect association with marital satisfaction via PTSD when all variables were examined simultaneously. CSA accounted for unique variance in both PTSD symptom severity and marital satisfaction in this sample of combat veterans. Clinically, results suggest that assessment and treatment of CSA is indicated for military veterans suffering from PTSD. Further, treatment of CSA may improve marital satisfaction, which may positively affect psychological functioning in the veteran.
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