PTSD among Veterans and Coping

Abyan Mohamud

Rodriguez et al. (2023)

Main findings: “Military sexual trauma (MST) is prevalent among female veterans and is

associated with deleterious health outcomes. Adaptive coping strategies (e.g., emotional support)

are associated with more positive outcomes, while maladaptive strategies (e.g., substance use)

are associated with greater impairment. However, research on factors that influence specific

coping strategy use is limited. For women with a history of MST, expectancies about the effects

of alcohol may enhance the use of maladaptive and reduce the use of adaptive strategies. The

present study tested this hypothesis.” (p. 1) - Abstract

Merdijana et al. (2022)

Main findings: “Study results indicated that the majority of participants (80%–87%)

reported some PTSD and depression residual symptoms at ITP completion, which commonly

continued to be endorsed at 3 months following ITP completion. At both treatment completion

and 3 months following treatment, participants who experienced clinically meaningful changes

during the ITP exhibited statistically lower odds of PTSD and depression residual symptoms as

compared to participants who did not experience clinically meaningful changes. However,

regardless of whether clinically meaningful changes in PTSD symptoms were experienced,

participants most commonly endorsed residual symptoms in the hyperarousal cluster of PTSD

and general depression symptoms at high rates” (p.1) - Abstract

Copeland et al. (2023)

Main findings: “Trauma exposure during military service was high at 59%. Probable

PTSD was detected in 26% of the sample at baseline, with additional cases in each survey wave

for an overall rate of 30%. Meeting criteria for probable PTSD covaried with current stress,

female gender, and minority race/ethnicity; baseline psychological resilience and concurrent

social support mitigated the risk. PTSD symptoms correlated positively with stress levels at

current and previous time points.” (p. 1) - Abstract

Refrences

Copeland, L. A., Finley, E. P., Rubin, M. L., Perkins, D. F., & Vogt, D. S. (2023). Emergence of

probable PTSD among U.S. veterans over the military-to-civilian transition. Psychological

Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 15(4), 697–704.

https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0001329

Rodriguez, L., King, P. R., & Buchholz, L. J. (2023). Associations among military sexual

trauma, positive alcohol expectancies, and coping behaviors in female veterans. Psychological

Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0001538

Kovacevic, M., Bravo, K., & Held, P. (2022). Posttraumatic stress disorder and

depression residual symptoms among veterans and service members who completed a 3-week

cognitive processing therapy-based intensive treatment program. Psychological Trauma: Theory,

Research, Practice, and Policy. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0001197i

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