The Relationship Between Postdeployment Factors and PTSD Severity in Recent Combat Veterans |
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| Authors: | Kyle Possemato Shannon McKenzie Meghan E. McDevitt-Murphy Joah L. Williams Paige Ouimette |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Center for Integrated Healthcare, VA Healthcare Network Upstate New York, Syracuse, New York, and Department of Psychology, Syracuse UniversityKyle.Possemato@va.gov;3. Center for Integrated Healthcare, VA Healthcare Network Upstate New York;4. Department of Psychology, The University of Memphis and Memphis VA Medical Center, Memphis, Tennessee;5. Center for Integrated Healthcare, VA Healthcare Network Upstate New York and Department of Psychology, Syracuse University |
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| Abstract: | Combat traumas precipitate posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); however, nontraumatic deployment and postdeployment factors may also contribute to PTSD severity. The Deployment Risk and Resilience Inventory (DRRI) was used to investigate pre-, peri-, and postdeployment factors associated with current PTSD severity in 150 recent combat veterans with PTSD and hazardous alcohol use. Hierarchal linear regression analyzed what factors independently predicted PTSD severity when controlling for sociodemographic characteristics and combat specific variables. Four postdeployment factors independently predicted PTSD severity: unemployment, alcohol use, social support, and stressful (nontraumatic) life events. The centrality of trauma in the maintenance of PTSD and clinical implications for treatment providers are discussed. |
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| Keywords: | combat postdeployment PTSD risk resilience |
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