PTSD Symptom Cluster Severity Predicts Momentary Emotion Dynamics During Couple Conversations.

This study investigated the associations between momentary emotion dynamics and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Using a sample of 61 couples (N = 122 individuals) in which all individuals were trauma exposed and at least one partner screened positive for PTSD, we examined the intra- and interpersonal regulation of vocally encoded emotional arousal (fundamental frequency [f0]) and how these momentary emotion regulatory patterns relate to specific PTSD symptoms during two couple conversations: one designed to elicit conflict and one to elicit intimacy. PTSD symptoms were assessed using a gold standard clinical interview. In both conversations, higher reexperiencing symptoms were associated with greater emotional inertia (i.e., more resistance to change in emotional state following deviation from one's emotional equilibrium), and higher avoidance symptoms were associated with less emotional inertia (i.e., quicker return to emotional equilibrium). In the intimacy conversations, individuals also responded to their partners' arousal. Furthermore, individuals whose partners exhibited higher emotional numbing symptoms exhibited more emotional inertia, suggesting that emotion regulation may be a function of both one's own and one's partner's PTSD symptoms. Attending to the interpersonal context of emotion dynamics during PTSD treatment may enhance outcomes.

U.S. Military Veterans' Health and Well-Being in the First Year After Service.

INTRODUCTION: This study examined the health and well-being of U.S. veterans during the first year after military service and tested several hypotheses regarding differences in veterans' well-being over time, across life domains, and based on sex, military rank, and deployment history. METHODS: A national sample of 9,566 veterans was recruited from a roster of all separating U.S. service members in the fall of 2016. Veterans' status, functioning, and satisfaction with regard to their health, work, and social relationships were assessed within 3 months of separation and then 6 months later. Analyses were completed in 2019. RESULTS: Health concerns were most salient for newly separated veterans, with many veterans reporting that they had chronic physical (53%) or mental (33%) health conditions and were less satisfied with their health than either their work or social relationships. By contrast, most veterans reported relatively high vocational and social well-being and only work functioning demonstrated a notable decline in the first year following separation. Enlisted personnel reported consistently poorer health, vocational, and social outcomes compared with their officer counterparts, whereas war zone-deployed veterans reported more health concerns and women endorsed more mental health concerns compared with their nondeployed and male peers. CONCLUSIONS: Although most newly separated veterans experience high vocational and social well-being as they reintegrate into civilian life, findings point to the need for additional attention to the health of separating service members and bolstered support for enlisted personnel to prevent the development of chronic readjustment challenges within this population.

Prospective, dyadic links between posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and family violence in the early years of parenthood.

Cross-sectional research has suggested that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity may be an important predictor of family violence perpetration; however, causal inference is limited by the absence of studies designed to prospectively predict family violence by PTSD symptoms. In the current study, PTSD symptoms were assessed among 250 trauma-exposed heterosexual couples 10 months after having their 1st child. The number of acts of psychological and physical intimate partner aggression (IPA) and parent-to-child aggression (PCA) that occurred during the past year was assessed at 10 and 24 months postpartum to account for stability in family violence perpetration when prospectively predicting perpetration. Longitudinal actor-partner interdependence models revealed that women's and men's PTSD symptoms positively predicted increases in the frequency of their own perpetration of psychological and physical IPA as well as psychological PCA. Additionally, partners' PTSD symptoms prospectively predicted psychological and physical IPA perpetration but not psychological or physical PCA perpetration, suggesting that partners' PTSD symptoms may directly impact dyadic processes during incidents of IPA but may not generally affect the family environment in a way that potentiates all forms of aggression. No significant gender differences were revealed. Overall, results of the current study largely support existing research and theory while clarifying inconsistencies that have emerged when examining cross-sectional associations. Further, the current results highlight the potential utility of PTSD treatment as an avenue for aggression prevention and intervention efforts during the early parenting years. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Development and Validation of a Tool to Assess Military Veterans' Status, Functioning, and Satisfaction with Key Aspects of their Lives.

BACKGROUND: We developed and validated the Well-Being Inventory (WBI) to address the need for a tool that can provide a comprehensive assessment of key aspects of military veterans' lives. This multidimensional instrument assesses status, functioning, and satisfaction with regard to vocation, finances, health, and social relationships. METHODS: Two large multi-phase studies (Study 1 Ns = 301, 286; Study 2 Ns = 9,566, 7,342) were conducted to develop and validate this tool among military veterans. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analyses supported the proposed factor structure, with separate factors observed for all scales except the health functioning scale, which was best represented as three factors rather than a single factor. Cronbach's alphas were satisfactory, with an average alpha of 0.86. Most WBI measures discriminated among individuals with and without mental health conditions and demonstrated expected declines among those with a new mental health condition. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides initial evidence for the reliability, validity, and sensitivity to change of the WBI. This tool can be used to provide insight into areas in which military veterans would benefit from additional support and inform efforts to promote the well-being of this population. Given its broad focus, it may also prove useful with other civilian populations.

Conceptualizing and Measuring Mental Illness Stigma: The Mental Illness Stigma Framework and Critical Review of Measures.

Although the last decade has seen a proliferation of research on mental illness stigma, lack of consistency and clarity in both the conceptualization and measurement of mental illness stigma has limited the accumulation of scientific knowledge about mental illness stigma and its consequences. In the present article, we bring together the different foci of mental illness stigma research with the Mental Illness Stigma Framework (MISF). The MISF provides a common framework and set of terminology for understanding mechanisms of mental illness stigma that are relevant to the study of both the stigmatized and the stigmatizer. We then apply this framework to systematically review and classify stigma measures used in the past decade according to their corresponding stigma mechanisms. We identified more than 400 measures of mental illness stigma, two thirds of which had not undergone any systematic psychometric evaluation. Stereotypes and discrimination received the most research attention, while mechanisms that focus on the perspective of individuals with mental illness (e.g., experienced, anticipated, or internalized stigma) have been the least studied. Finally, we use the MISF to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of mental illness stigma measurement, identify gaps in the literature, and provide recommendations for future research.

The Role of PTSD, Depression, and Alcohol Misuse Symptom Severity in Linking Deployment Stressor Exposure and Post-Military Work and Family Outcomes in Male and Female Veterans.

Exposure to stressors during military deployment puts veterans at risk for reduced post-military quality of life. Stress-related mental health problems may lead to decreased well-being within work and family domains, yet few studies have explored associations in the context of gender. We examined relationships between deployment stressors and post-military functioning and satisfaction in the domains of work and family, with a focus on PTSD, depression, and alcohol misuse symptomatology as potential mediators. Participants included 522 male and female Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans assessed longitudinally. Structural equation models supported several direct and indirect pathways linking deployment stressors to work and family outcomes for both men and women. PTSD had an important role in these associations. Depression also played a significant role, particularly for women. These findings build on prior research by elucidating potential gender-specific risk, which may be applied to better tailor services to veterans' unique needs.