Search

Suicide is a considerable public health concern, particularly among U.S. veterans. Despite inpatient psychiatric hospitalization being a primary recommended treatment for acute suicidality, available inpatient group treatments remain limited. The current quality improvement project (QIP) aimed to examine the feasibility and acceptability of a newly developed single-session suicide-focused psychoeducation for veterans during psychiatric hospitalization. This project was conducted in two phases among veterans hospitalized for suicidal thoughts or behaviors. The first phase (

Abstract. Background: Concerns exist regarding the perceived risks of conducting suicide-focused research among an acutely distressed population. Aims: The current study assessed changes in participant distress before and after participation in a suicide-focused research study conducted on a psychiatric inpatient unit. Method: Participants included 37 veterans who were receiving treatment on a psychiatric inpatient unit and completed a survey-based research study focused on suicide-related behaviors and experiences. Results: Participants reported no significant changes in self-reported distress. The majority of participants reported unchanged or decreased distress. Reviews of electronic medical records revealed no behavioral dysregulation and minimal use of as-needed medications or changes in mood following participation. Limitations: The study's small sample size and veteran population may limit generalizability. Conclusion: Findings add to research conducted across a variety of settings (i.e., outpatient, online, laboratory), indicating that participating in suicide-focused research is not significantly associated with increased distress or suicide risk.

To improve the identification and intervention of suicide risk, the Veterans Health Administration implemented the use of electronic patient record flags (PRF) to indicate when a veteran is identified as high risk for suicide and to increase the clinical contacts made with the veteran. The current study utilized an intersectional approach to assess potential disparities in the likelihood of receiving a PRF and the likelihood of receiving post-PRF follow-up care among veterans with substance use disorders. Among 474,946 veterans who received a substance use disorder diagnosis in 2012, Black veterans were less likely to receive a PRF, although Black-disabled veterans and Black-female veterans were more likely to receive a PRF. Homelessness was related to greater likelihood of receiving a PRF and post-PRF care. Hispanic/Latinx veterans who experienced homelessness were more likely to receive post-PRF care while disabled veterans who experienced homelessness were less likely. Hispanic/Latinx, female veterans and Black-disabled veterans were significantly less likely to receive post-PRF care. Overall, few marginalized or intersecting identities were associated with decreased PRF or decreased follow-up care. There are be opportunities for specific strategies that promote engagement in VA follow-up services for veterans identifying as Hispanic-Latinx women, disabled Black veterans, and disabled homeless veterans.

Introduction: Despite recent advancements in the development of new suicide prevention interventions, suicide rates continue to rise in the United States. As such, suicide prevention efforts must c...

The Veterans Crisis Line (VCL) is a national resource offering Veterans 24/7 access to crisis responders and follow-up by a licensed mental health clinician at a Veterans Affairs medical center. This quality improvement project aimed to improve local suicide prevention efforts at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System by characterizing 344 VCL calls and outcomes. Data was extracted from documentation by national VCL responders and local Suicide Prevention Team members. Overall, most callers were assessed at low-to-moderate risk. VCL responders were more likely to assess callers reporting suicidal ideation (SI) as high-risk, but less likely to assess those reporting financial issues as high-risk. VCL calls about SI, about physical health, or that occurred on weekends were more likely to end with immediate evaluation (i.e., emergency room, evaluated by first-responders) compared to their respective comparison groups. VCL calls assessed as high-risk were more likely to report SI during local follow-up contact, whereas VCL calls ending in immediate evaluation (i.e., emergency room, evaluated by first-responders) were less likely to report SI during follow-up with the local VA clinician; 17% of VCL calls without SI reported SI at follow-up. Training of local Suicide Prevention Team members should include that SI can change rapidly and requires assessment regardless of SI during the VCL call.

The aim was to examine social support and community connection as moderators of the relationship between discrimination and suicidal ideation (SI) in transgender veterans.A national convenience sample of 298 transgender veterans completed an online cross-sectional survey from February to May 2014. Hierarchical regressions using nonparametric bootstrapping assessed associations among gender-related discrimination within the past year, two aspects of social support (social support, social connection) from four sources (family, friends, transgender/LGBT friends, and veterans), and SI in the past 2 weeks.Discrimination was positively associated with SI. Social support from transgender friends and social connection with LGBT and veteran communities moderated the relationship between discrimination and SI. At high and average levels of social support and connection, discrimination was associated with greater SI, whereas at low levels of these variables, SI was consistently elevated and unrelated to discrimination.Given that SI was consistently elevated when discrimination was high, these findings emphasize the need for additional research on how to mitigate the detrimental effects of discrimination, with consideration given to interventions targeting discrimination or responses to discrimination. In addition, given that high and average transgender social support and LGBT social connection were associated with reduced SI when discrimination was low, research would benefit from continued exploration of the potential protective elements of social support from a shared stigmatized community.

Cognitive flexibility has been linked with positive psychological health outcomes, whereas cognitive rigidity has been linked with suicide risk. We examined associations among cognitive flexibility and certain suicide risk indicators among a sample of patients psychiatrically hospitalized for suicide risk (n = 40). Data were collected during two pilot randomized controlled trials. At baseline, cognitive flexibility was not associated with depressive symptoms, hopelessness, or severity of lifetime worst point suicide ideation. At 3-months post psychiatric discharge, higher baseline cognitive flexibility predicted significantly lower depressive symptoms and worst point suicide ideation in the past month, but did not predict lower hopelessness.

Introduction Changes in social interactions following psychiatric hospitalization, a period characterized by heightened suicide risk, are important to understand. Objective: We qualitatively explored perceived changes in social interactions one month after inpatient psychiatric discharge following a suicidal crisis. Methods: A total of 113 United States Service members, recruited in the context of a psychotherapy randomized controlled trial, described the extent to which social interactions with family members, peers, and military commanders had changed. Results: Most participants (82.3%) reported at least some change in social interactions, conveying six common themes. Showing more care and checking in more were frequently reported for family (24.8%, 20.4%), commanders (23.0%, 16.8%), and by peers (12.4%, 10.6%). Showing more concern was most frequently reported for family (13.3%) followed by peers (6.2%) and commanders (6.2%). Participants reported showing more caution from peers (14.2%), commanders (13.3%) and family (6.2%). Acting more distant was reported from commanders (7.1%), peers (7.1%), and family (5.3%). Showing negative reaction(s) was reported from commanders (8.0%), family (3.5%) and rarely for peers (0.9%). Conclusion: Inpatient providers are encouraged to prepare patients for potential changes in social interactions following psychiatric discharge and how to best respond to these changes.

Objective Evaluate suicide attempt prevalence and potentially related sociodemographic and psychiatric factors among racial and ethnic groups. Methods Between 2012 and 2013, the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III (NESARC-III) conducted semi-structured interviews with 36,309 adults in the USA. We identified lifetime suicide attempt prevalence and significant predictors for each racial/ethnic group using stratified logistic regressions. Analyses were exploratory without a priori hypotheses. Results Asian/Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander and Black individuals had the lowest prevalence of suicide attempts while Alaska Native/American Indian and White individuals had the highest prevalence. Identifying as female and meeting criteria for psychiatric diagnoses featuring mood regulation difficulties (depression, borderline personality disorder, bipolar I disorder) were consistently related to a suicide attempt history across racial and ethnic groups, whereas substance abuse disorders and other sociodemographic factors differed between racial and ethnic groups in their associations with suicide attempt history. Conclusions Although several factors were consistently related to suicide risk across racial and ethnic groups, the prevalence of suicide attempts and overall pattern of related factors were not uniform between racial and ethnic groups. Policy Implications Study findings highlight the importance of considering suicide risk within the context of race and ethnicity both regarding the overall prevalence of risk and in determining personal factors associated with elevated risk. A failure to appreciate experiences related to race and ethnicity may adversely impact suicide risk assessment and treatment, ultimately contributing to health disparities. Results suggest that additional research is warranted. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40615-021-01115-3.

Widespread attempts to implement suicide prevention efforts may be hindered by stigma regarding suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs). Despite extensive literature linking general mental health stigma to numerous negative outcomes (i.e., reduced help-seeking), limited research has extended findings to STB-specific stigma. Thus, the present study aimed to examine the association between three types of STB stigma (public, self, and anticipated) and self-disclosure, a specific form of help-seeking for some individuals, among civilians and a population at heightened suicide risk, U.S. veterans. Participants (n = 500) reported a lifetime history of suicidal ideation (n = 253 identified as a U.S. veteran; n = 132 reported being enrolled in Veteran Health Administration [VHA] care) who completed self-report measures about their STB experiences, including stigma and self-disclosure. Results highlighted a significant association between greater self-stigma, as well as greater anticipated stigma, and a reduced likelihood of STB disclosure, among veterans but not civilians. No significant associations as a result of VHA care status were found. Together, findings suggest that individuals' concerns related to STBs and STB disclosure may be grounded in past experiences in the military, and thus highlight the need for prevention efforts that protect against negative consequences related to STB disclosure.

Military deployments are known to be stressful for both military service members (SMs) and their romantic partners. Little is known about how coping strategies used during deployment may relate to one’s own and one’s partner’s relationship satisfaction following deployment. This project investigated the retrospective report of how 154 SMs and their romantic partners coped with deployment-related stress, using previously established coping constructs of problem-focused, emotion-focused, and avoidance coping. Examination of relative associations of coping strategies and mental health symptoms with SMs’ and partners’ relationship satisfaction showed that partners’ emotion-focused coping was positively related to both SMs’ and partners’ relationship satisfaction, whereas partners’ avoidance was negatively related to both their own and SMs’ relationship satisfaction. Results highlight the importance of partner coping within military couples and point to potential strategies for coping with deployment that are associated with enhanced relationship functioning after deployment.

Abstract. Background: Patient disclosure of prior suicidal behaviors is critical for effectively managing suicide risk; however, many attempts go undisclosed. Aims: The current study explored how responses following a suicide attempt disclosure may relate to help-seeking outcomes. Method: Participants included 37 veterans with a previous suicide attempt receiving inpatient psychiatric treatment. Veterans reported on their most and least helpful experiences disclosing their suicide attempt to others. Results: Veterans disclosed their suicide attempt to approximately eight individuals. Mental health professionals were the most cited recipient of their most helpful disclosure; romantic partners were the most common recipient of their least helpful disclosures. Positive reactions within the context of the least helpful disclosure experience were positively associated with a sense of connection with the disclosure recipient. Positive reactions within the most helpful disclosure experience were positively associated with the likelihood of future disclosure. No reactions were associated with having sought professional care or likelihood of seeking professional care. Limitations: The results are considered preliminary due to the small sample size. Conclusion: Findings suggest that while positive reactions may influence suicide attempt disclosure experiences broadly, additional research is needed to clarify factors that drive the decision to disclose a suicide attempt to a professional.

There is significant debate about the feasibility of using predictive models for suicide prevention. Although statistical considerations have received careful attention, patient perspectives have not been examined. This study collected feedback from high-risk veterans about the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) prevention program called Recovery Engagement and Coordination for Health-Veterans Enhanced Treatment (REACH VET).Anonymous questionnaires were obtained from veterans during their stay at a psychiatric inpatient unit (N=102). The questionnaire included three vignettes (the standard VA script, a more statistical vignette, and a more collaborative vignette) that described a conversation a clinician might initiate to introduce REACH VET. Patients rated each vignette on several factors, selected their favorite vignette, and provided qualitative feedback, including recommendations for clinicians.All three vignettes were rated as neutral to very caring by more than 80% of respondents (at least 69% of respondents rated all vignettes as somewhat caring to very caring). Similar positive feedback was obtained for several ratings (e.g., helpful vs. unhelpful, informative vs. uninformative, encouraging vs. discouraging). There were few differences in the ratings of the three vignettes, and each of the three scripts was preferred as the "favorite" by at least 28% of the sample. Few patients endorsed concerns that the discussion would increase their hopelessness, and privacy concerns were rare. Most of the advice for clinicians emphasized the importance of a patient-centered approach.The results provide preliminary support for the acceptability of predictive models to identify patients at risk for suicide, but more stakeholder research is needed.

Deployment to a combat zone is a fundamental mission for most military forces, but prior research suggests that there is a complex and nuanced association between deployment and related risk factors for suicide. Deployment and combat experiences vary greatly among military personnel and can affect a variety of protective and risk factors for suicide. This article offers a critical examination of the association among modern U.S. military deployments, suicide attempts, and death while considering the context of a prominent theory of suicide. Although previous work has demonstrated that deployment is not associated with suicide overall in this population, there is growing evidence that risk may be elevated shortly after deployment, and for some subgroups. Specific aspects of combat exposure, including the experience of killing or witnessing death in combat, may be important contributing factors. An analysis of the literature illustrates that deployment-related risk factors for suicide are complex. The limitations of the literature are discussed, and future directions are suggested.

Long-distance communication has been frequently identified as essential to military couples trying to maintain their relationship during a deployment. Little quantitative research, however, has assessed the types of topics discussed during such communication and how those topics relate to overall relationship satisfaction. The current study draws on a sample of 56 Army couples who provided data through online surveys while the service member was actively deployed. These couples provided information on current marital satisfaction, topics discussed during deployment (problem talk, friendship talk, love talk), and how they communicated via synchronous media (e.g., phone calls, video calls) and letters during deployment. Nonparametric Friedman tests followed by paired t tests revealed that synchronous communication was primarily utilized for friendship talk, whereas letters included friendship talk and love talk in similar amounts. Both synchronous communication and letters included less problem talk than other topics. In mixed-level modeling, only topics of communication for synchronous media (not for letters) were related to relationship satisfaction. Love talk via synchronous media was related to higher relationship satisfaction, whereas problem talk via synchronous media was related to less relationship satisfaction. The current study offers the first quantitative assessment of topics within deployment communication media and associations with relationship satisfaction. (PsycINFO Database Record

Progress in clinical science, theory, and practice requires the integration of advances from multiple fields of psychology, but much integration remains to be done. The current article seeks to address the specific gap that exists between basic social psychological theories and the implementation of related therapeutic techniques. We propose several “wise additions,” based upon the principles outlined by Walton (2014), intended to bridge current social psychological research with clinical psychological therapeutic practice using cognitive behavioral therapy as an example. We consider how recent advances in social psychological theories can inform the development and implementation of wise additions in clinical case conceptualization and interventions. We specifically focus on self and identity, self-affirmation, transference, social identity, and embodied cognition, five dominant areas of interest in the field that have clear clinical applications.

Transgender people are less likely to have health insurance, which has been associated with reduced utilization of health care. In the current study, the authors sought to assess the role of health insurance in mental health care utilization among transgender individuals.A total of 4,334 adults who self-identified as transgender or gender diverse (neither male nor female) participated in the 2017 Trans Lifeline Mental Health Survey, which included self-report measures of current insurance type and lifetime history of having seen a therapist or psychiatric provider. Logistic regression analyses assessed the association of insurance status with lifetime utilization of a mental health therapist or psychiatric provider.Although only 8% of the sample were uninsured, these individuals were significantly less likely to have seen a therapist or psychiatric provider in their lifetime compared with those with health insurance, even after the analyses were adjusted for sociodemographic factors. Conversely, those with insurance through the military or the Veterans Health Administration were more than twice as likely as those with employer-provided insurance to have seen a therapist or psychiatric provider. There were no significant differences in mental health care utilization between those with employer-provided insurance versus public or privately purchased insurance.Rates of being uninsured were lower than in earlier assessments of transgender adults and adults who identify as gender diverse. However, type of health insurance also appeared to be a notable structural factor contributing to disparities in mental health care utilization among transgender individuals.

Objectives. To characterize housing instability among transgender veterans using Veterans Health Administration (VHA) health care in the United States. Methods. We used administrative data on veterans screened for housing instability from 2013 to 2016; participants included 5717 transgender veterans and 17 133 cisgender veterans. We defined housing instability by a positive screen or VHA Homeless Program use. We identified gender from medical records, reflecting either birth sex or gender identity. We identified transgender identity through transgender-related International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision and Tenth Revision codes. A multiple logistic regression assessed the association of transgender identity with housing instability. Results. Prevalence of housing instability was nearly 3 times higher among transgender veterans than among cisgender veterans (19.9% vs 6.7%; P Conclusions. Transgender veterans experience housing instability more frequently than do cisgender veterans. An increased focus on transgender identity is critical for reducing veteran homelessness.

To minimize potential distractions for deployed military service members (SMs), some nondeployed romantic partners have reported engaging in protective buffering, or intentionally withholding information or concerns to protect their deployed partner. This study assessed the associations of protective buffering and psychological distress and marital satisfaction for military couples during and after deployment. Additionally, the study explored whether protective buffering was related to SM reports of being distracted during deployment by family matters. A total of 54 couples provided data before, during, and after an Army deployment. In multilevel models, higher protective buffering by partners was associated with higher psychological distress and lower marital satisfaction for both SMs and partners during, but not after, deployment. Additionally, partners reported frequent use of protective buffering during deployment; however, protective buffering was not significantly correlated with family related distraction for SMs during deployment. Limitations and implications of these findings are discussed.Para minimizar posibles distracciones para miembros del servicio militar (SM) desplegados, algunas parejas románticas no desplegadas han informado que practican la amortiguación protectora, es decir, ocultan información o preocupaciones intencionalmente para proteger a su pareja desplegada. Este estudio evaluó las asociaciones de amortiguación protectora y angustia psicológica y satisfacción conyugal para parejas militares durante y después del despliegue. Además, el estudio exploró si la amortiguación protectora tenía relación con informes de los SM de estar distraídos durante el despliegue por cuestiones familiares. Un total de 54 parejas proporcionó datos antes, durante y después de un despliegue del ejército. En modelos multinivel, una amortiguación protectora mayor por parte de las parejas se asoció a mayor angustia psicológica y menor satisfacción conyugal tanto para los SM como para las parejas durante, pero no después del despliegue. Además, los socios informaron el uso frecuente de amortiguación protectora durante un despliegue; sin embargo, la amortiguación protectora no tuvo una correlación significativa con la distracción por motivos familiares para los SM durante el despliegue. Se discuten las limitaciones e implicaciones de estos hallazgos.为了减少对服役期间的军人受到的潜在干扰,有些非从军的情侣们报告了他们采取了缓冲性保护措施,即刻意地隐瞒一些事情或忧虑之事不让在部队服役的一方知道太多家里的事情以期达到对他们的保护的目的。本研究旨在考察军人伴侣中在一方去部队服役期间和退役之后,保护性缓冲带来了什么样的影响,主要是指和心理压力以及婚姻满意度之间的相关性。另外,本研究也调查了保护性缓冲是否和服役人员自己在当兵期间报告的被家庭事务干扰之间有一定关联。参与调查研究的军人伴侣有54对,数据的搜集的时间段包括在当兵前期,服役中和退役期间。多级模型显示,从军者和其伴侣在当兵的一方服役期间,越高的保护性缓冲和越高的心理困扰以及越低的婚姻满意度相关联,结束兵役之后并没有这样的关联。而且,军人伴侣报告在当兵的一方服役期间使用保护性缓冲更频繁,但是保护性缓冲措施并没有和当兵的一方在服役期间受到的和家事相关的干扰有很明显的关联性。本研究的局限性和启示意义有所讨论。.

To shield a romantic partner from potential distress due to stressors occurring during deployment, service members (SMs) may engage in protective buffering, or withholding information or concerns from a romantic partner. This study utilized data from 54 couples collected before, during, and after a military deployment to assess whether SMs engaged in protective buffering while deployed and the possible associations between buffering and psychological, relationship, and contextual factors. Only 2% of SMs indicated never engaging in protective buffering during a deployment. In bivariate analyses, only partners' psychological distress prior to deployment was significantly associated (negatively) with protective buffering. In multilevel models with time nested within individuals, and individuals nested within couples, higher buffering was associated with less partner distress during deployment, but was also associated with higher SM distress both during and after deployment. In these multilevel models, protective buffering was not significantly associated with SM or partner marital satisfaction.Para proteger a una pareja romántica del posible distrés debido a factores desencadenantes de estrés que se producen durante la movilización militar, los miembros de las fuerzas armadas pueden adoptar una conducta de atenuación protectora u ocultar información o preocupaciones a una pareja romántica. El presente estudio utilizó datos de 54 parejas recopilados antes, durante y después de una movilización militar para evaluar si los miembros de las fuerzas armadas adoptaron una conducta de atenuación protectora mientras estaban movilizados y las posibles asociaciones entre la atenuación y los factores psicológicos, relacionales y contextuales. Solo el 2% de los miembros de las fuerzas armadas indicaron no haber adoptado nunca una conducta de atenuación protectora durante una movilización militar. En los análisis bivariables, solo el distrés psicológico de las parejas antes de la movilización militar estuvo asociado considerablemente (negativamente) con la atenuación protectora. En los modelos multinivel, con el tiempo localizado dentro de las personas y las personas localizadas dentro de las parejas, una mayor atenuación estuvo asociada con menos distrés de la pareja durante la movilización militar, pero también estuvo asociada con un mayor distrés de los miembros de las fuerzas armadas tanto durante como después de la movilización militar. En estos modelos multinivel, la atenuación protectora no estuvo asociada de forma significativa con la satisfacción conyugal de la pareja o del miembro de las fuerzas armadas.在服兵役期间,为了保护情侣中的一方免受多种紧张因素引起的潜在痛苦的影响,为国服兵役的军人们可能采取保护性的缓冲策略,也就是向伴侣隐瞒一定的信息或不告知可能引起担忧的事情。本研究搜集了54对夫妇情侣在军事任务派遣之前、之中、之后的数据用来评估服役人员是否在服役期间采用了保护性缓冲策略,以及隐瞒一些事情与心理,关系和环境因素之间的可能的相互关联性。只有2%的服役人员表示从来没有在兵役期间使用过保护性缓冲策略。在双变量分析中,只有在服役前,情侣的压力和保护性缓冲有非常大地负关联。在多等级的模型即服役时间、个人和情侣关系的两两相互关系中,服役期间若隐瞒的事情越多,伴侣的痛苦越小,不过服役军人本人在服役期间和结束之后的痛苦相应会越高。在这些多水平的模型中,保护性缓冲策略和服役人员及其伴侣对婚姻的满意度并没有很大相关性。.

Military deployments are stressful for service members and partners. Communication is an important factor in trying to maintain a relationship during these separations. This article presents a brief overview of communication in long-distance relationships for context, then reviews articles on communication during military deployments. This review reveals that emerging technology has resulted in an increase in the ability to communicate during deployment, although some studies suggest that access to such technology may vary. The few empirical studies that examine new communication technologies have found that different media (e.g., video calling vs. letters) may serve different functions in communication during deployment (e.g., facilitating problem discussion vs. providing tangible reminders of the partner). Military specific concerns, such as restrictions on communication and the potential for communication to distract service members from their mission, also appear to be important factors. The article concludes with clinical and research recommendations.

There are few quantitative studies of communication between service members (SMs) and spouses during military deployments. Approximately one year postdeployment, 224 SMs and 214 of their spouses completed measures of relationship satisfaction. SMs also retrospectively reported on frequency of synchronous (real-time; e.g., phone) and asynchronous (delayed; e.g., e-mail) communication, and family-related stressors during deployment. Postdeployment relationship satisfaction in both partners was associated with SMs' recall of spouses having written/e-mailed more frequently than SMs. Significant interactions indicated that, when SMs recalled higher family-related stressors during deployment, greater satisfaction was associated with more asynchronous and less synchronous communication. This pattern was reversed when SMs recalled lower family-related stressors.

Service members and veterans (SM/Vs) with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can receive significant benefits from social support by a spouse or romantic partner. However, little is known about how providing support impacts partners. This study sought to identify (a) how provision of support is associated with partners' daily negative and positive affect and (b) how SM/Vs' PTSD symptom severity might moderate such associations. In a 14-day daily-diary study that assessed 64 couples in which one member was an SM/V with PTSD symptoms, partners reported nightly on whether or not they provided instrumental support and/or emotional support that day as well as their current negative and positive affect. Multilevel modeling showed that the provision of emotional and instrumental support were both significantly related to partners' lower levels of negative affect, fSpanish Abstracts by Asociación Chilena de Estrés Traumático (ACET) Apoyo a un Cónyuge con Estrés Postraumático Militar: Asociaciones de la vida diaria con el Afecto de las Parejas EL APOYO A UNA ESPOSA CON SÍNTOMAS DE TEPT Los miembros del servicio y los veteranos (SM/Vs en sus siglas en inglés) con Trastorno de Estrés Postraumático (TEPT) pueden recibir significativos beneficios del apoyo social por parte de un cónyuge o pareja romántica. Sin embargo, poco se sabe acerca de cómo el hecho de proporcionar apoyo impacta a las parejas. Este estudio buscó identificar (a) cómo la provisión de apoyo está asociado con el afecto negativo y positivo diario de las parejas y (b) cómo la severidad de los síntomas TEPT de SM/Vs podría moderar tales asociaciones. En un estudio diario de 14 días que evaluó 64 parejas en las que un miembro era un SM/V con síntomas de TEPT, las parejas informaron cada noche sobre si proporcionaron o no apoyo instrumental y/o apoyo emocional ese día, como también informaron sobre su afecto negativo y positivo actual. El modelo multinivel mostró que la provisión del apoyo emocional e instrumental se relacionaron significativamente tanto con los niveles más bajos de afecto negativo, fTraditional and Simplified Chinese Abstracts by the Asian Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (AsianSTSS) 簡體及繁體中文撮要由亞洲創傷心理研究學會翻譯 Supporting a Spouse with Military Posttraumatic Stress: Daily Associations with Partners’ Affect Traditional Chinese 標題: 為有軍事創傷後壓力的伴侶提供支持:與伴侶之間的情感每天的關連 撮要: 伴侶或愛人提供的社會支持, 對患創傷後壓力症(PTSD)的現役和退役軍人(SM/Vs)可以有顯著幫助。可是, 我們仍不清楚提供支持如何影響伴侶。本研究旨在找出(a) 提供支持跟伴侶每天的正面和負面情感有何關連, 和(b) SM/Vs的PTSD症狀嚴重度是否對這些關連有調節效應。本研究進行了14天的日記研究, 評估64對夫婦, 每對夫婦中其中一人為有PTSD症狀的SM/V。樣本中的夫婦每晚報告他們當天是否有提供工具性的支持和/或情緒支持, 以及他們當前的負面和正面情感。多層次模型顯示, 情緒和工具性支持兩者都跟伴侶於當天有較低水平的負面情感(f

This study examined the effectiveness of an evidence-based, community-delivered adaptation of couple relationship education (CRE; specifically, PREP, The Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program) delivered at two Army installations. The study is a randomized controlled trial with two years of follow-up, examining marital quality and stability. Sample composition was 662 married couples with a spouse in the U.S. Army. Analyses yielded no evidence of overall enduring intervention effects on relationship quality but couples assigned to intervention at the higher risk site were significantly less likely than controls to be divorced at the two-year follow-up (8.1% vs. 14.9%, p < .01). This effect was moderated by ethnic minority status. Specifically, the impact of the intervention on divorce was strongest for minority couples. The findings add to the literature on who may benefit most from CRE.

Little is known about the role of romantic partner symptom accommodation in PTSD symptom maintenance. To explore the bidirectional associations of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and romantic partner symptom accommodation over time, military servicemen (n = 64) with symptoms of PTSD and their co-habiting heterosexual civilian romantic partners (n = 64) completed a 2-week daily diary study. Cross-lagged, autoregressive models assessed the stability of men’s PTSD symptoms and partners’ accommodation, as well as the prospective associations of earlier PTSD symptoms with later accommodation and vice versa. Analyses used Bayesian estimation to provide point estimates (b) and Credible Intervals (CIs). In all models, PTSD symptoms (total and individual clusters) were highly stable (b = 0.91; CI: 0.88–0.95), and accommodation was moderately stable (b = 0.48; CI: 0.40–0.54). In all models, earlier PTSD symptoms (total and clusters) were significantly, positively associated with later accommodation (b = 0.04; CI: 0.02–0.07). In contrast, earlier accommodation was significantly associated only with later situational avoidance (b = 0.02; CI: 0.00–0.07). Thus, PTSD symptoms may lead to subsequent accommodating behaviors in romantic partners, but partner accommodation seems to contribute only to survivors’ future situational avoidance symptoms. The findings reinforce the notion that PTSD symptoms have an impact on relationship behaviors, and that accommodation from partners may sustain avoidant behaviors in particular. Clinicians should attend to romantic partners’ accommodating behaviors when working with survivors.