Genome-wide association analyses identify 95 risk loci and provide insights into the neurobiology of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) genetics are characterized by lower discoverability than most other psychiatric disorders. The contribution to biological understanding from previous genetic studies has thus been limited. We performed a multi-ancestry meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies across 1,222,882 individuals of European ancestry (137,136 cases) and 58,051 admixed individuals with African and Native American ancestry (13,624 cases). We identified 95 genome-wide significant loci (80 new). Convergent multi-omic approaches identified 43 potential causal genes, broadly classified as neurotransmitter and ion channel synaptic modulators (for example, GRIA1, GRM8 and CACNA1E), developmental, axon guidance and transcription factors (for example, FOXP2, EFNA5 and DCC), synaptic structure and function genes (for example, PCLO, NCAM1 and PDE4B) and endocrine or immune regulators (for example, ESR1, TRAF3 and TANK). Additional top genes influence stress, immune, fear and threat-related processes, previously hypothesized to underlie PTSD neurobiology. These findings strengthen our understanding of neurobiological systems relevant to PTSD pathophysiology, while also opening new areas for investigation.

John L. McNulty (1955-2023).

Dr. John L. McNulty, born on January 25, 1955, in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, passed away on October 31, 2023, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at the age of 68 years. Ever the pragmatist and always bringing a critical mindset to test use, Dr. McNulty coauthored seminal articles demonstrating the absence of predictive bias among African Americans. His commitment to diversity more recently focused on contemporary assessment with transgender and gender-diverse individuals. While Dr. McNulty's empirical work advanced the field of personality and psychopathology, his relationships with colleagues and mentees are his most lasting legacy. Dr. McNulty inspired many while he was here, and his memory will inspire many into the future. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

MMPI-2-RF validity scales add utility for predicting treatment engagement during partial psychiatric hospitalizations.

Partial psychiatric hospitalizations are resource-intensive clinical services designed to stabilize patients in the short term, prevent inpatient hospitalizations, and encourage long-term recovery. Typically, providers base their referral decisions on categorical diagnoses and subjective impressions of patient distress without closely considering the evidence for reporting biases. The present study followed veterans (n = 430) participating in partial psychiatric hospitalization services. We evaluated the extent to which clinical diagnoses at intake predicted treatment variables and changes in later mental health care utilization. Using hierarchical linear regressions with bootstrap confidence intervals, Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form content-based validity scales demonstrated incremental utility for predicting patient outcomes beyond intake diagnoses. Elevated Fp-r ("Infrequent Psychopathology Responses") scores independently predicted an increased number of times arriving late for partial hospitalization programming, self-report of worse current functioning at intake, and a relative increase in mental health care encounters in the 12 months following discharge. Low K-r ("Adjustment Validity") scores independently predicted self-report of worse current functioning at both intake and later discharge from partial hospitalization. Thus, indicators of severe psychopathology overreporting as well as the unlikely disavowal of emotional adjustment (i.e., high Fp-r, low K-r) predicted engagement with health care services and self-presentations of symptoms over and above the diagnostic impressions from referring providers. We discuss how indicators of content-based invalid responding on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form have real-world value for understanding patient behavior and shaping clinical interventions among vulnerable populations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Adaptation in Young Military Recruits: Protocol for the Advancing Research on Mechanisms of Resilience (ARMOR) Prospective Longitudinal Study.

BACKGROUND: Military services provide a unique opportunity for studying resilience, a dynamic process of successful adaptation (ie, doing well in terms of functioning and symptoms) in response to significant adversity. Despite the tremendous interest in positive adaptation among military service members, little is known about the processes underlying their resilience. Understanding the neurobiological, cognitive, and social mechanisms underlying adaptive functioning following military stressor exposure is essential for enhancing the resilience of military service members. OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of the Advancing Research on Mechanisms of Resilience (ARMOR) longitudinal study is to characterize the trajectories of positive adaptation among young military recruits in response to basic combat training (BCT), a well-defined, uniform, and 10-week period of intense stress (aim 1), and identify promotive and protective processes contributing to individual variations in resilience (aim 2). The secondary objective is to investigate the pathways by which neurobehavioral markers of self-regulation assessed using electroencephalography and magnetic resonance imaging contribute to adaptive trajectories (aim 3). METHODS: ARMOR is an ongoing, prospective longitudinal cohort study of young military recruits who recently joined the National Guard but have not yet shipped out for BCT. Participants (N=1201) are assessed at 5 time points over the initial >2 years of military service beginning before BCT (baseline) and followed up at 2 weeks and 6, 12, and 18 months after BCT. Participants complete web-based questionnaires assessing vulnerability and protective factors, mental health, and socioemotional functioning at each time point and a battery of neurocognitive tests at time 0. A subset of participants also complete structured diagnostic interviews and additional self-report measures and perform neurobehavioral tasks before and after BCT during electroencephalography sessions and before BCT only during magnetic resonance imaging sessions. RESULTS: This UG3/UH3 project was initially funded in August 2017, with the UG3 pilot work completed at the end of 2018. The UH3 phase of the project was funded in March 2019. Study enrollment for the UH3 phase began on April 14, 2019, and ended on October 16, 2021. A total of 1201 participants are enrolled in the study. Follow-up data collection for the UH3 phase is ongoing and projected to continue through February 2024. We will disseminate the findings through conferences, webinars, open access publications, and communications with participants and stakeholders. CONCLUSIONS: The ARMOR study provides a rich data set to identify the predictors and mechanisms of resilient and nonresilient outcomes in the context of military stressors, which are intended to empirically inform the development of prevention and intervention strategies to enhance the resilience of military trainees and potentially other young people facing significant life challenges. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/51235.

Discovery of 95 PTSD loci provides insight into genetic architecture and neurobiology of trauma and stress-related disorders.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) genetics are characterized by lower discoverability than most other psychiatric disorders. The contribution to biological understanding from previous genetic studies has thus been limited. We performed a multi-ancestry meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies across 1,222,882 individuals of European ancestry (137,136 cases) and 58,051 admixed individuals with African and Native American ancestry (13,624 cases). We identified 95 genome-wide significant loci (80 novel). Convergent multi-omic approaches identified 43 potential causal genes, broadly classified as neurotransmitter and ion channel synaptic modulators (e.g., GRIA1, GRM8, CACNA1E ), developmental, axon guidance, and transcription factors (e.g., FOXP2, EFNA5, DCC ), synaptic structure and function genes (e.g., PCLO, NCAM1, PDE4B ), and endocrine or immune regulators (e.g., ESR1, TRAF3, TANK ). Additional top genes influence stress, immune, fear, and threat-related processes, previously hypothesized to underlie PTSD neurobiology. These findings strengthen our understanding of neurobiological systems relevant to PTSD pathophysiology, while also opening new areas for investigation.

Advancing Research on Mechanisms of Resilience (ARMOR) Prospective Longitudinal Study of Adaptation in Young Military Recruits: Protocol and rationale for methods and measures.

Background: Military service provides a unique opportunity for studying resilience, a dynamic process of successful adaptation (i.e., doing well in terms of functioning and symptoms) in response to significant adversity. Despite tremendous interest in positive adaptation among military service members, little is known about the processes underlying their resilience. Understanding neurobiological, cognitive, and social mechanisms underlying adaptive functioning following military stressor exposure is essential to enhance the resilience of military service members. Objectives: The primary objective of the Advancing Research on Mechanisms of Resilience (ARMOR) longitudinal study is to characterize trajectories of positive adaptation among young military recruits in response to Basic Combat Training (BCT), a well-defined, uniform, 10-week period of intense stress (Aim 1) and identify promotive and protective processes contributing to individual variations in resilience (Aim 2). The secondary objective is to investigate pathways by which neurobehavioral markers of self-regulation assessed by electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contribute to adaptive trajectories (Aim 3). Methods: ARMOR is an ongoing, prospective longitudinal cohort study of young military recruits who recently joined the National Guard but have not yet shipped for BCT. Participants (N=1,201) are assessed at five timepoints over the initial 2+ years of military service beginning before BCT (baseline) and followed up at 2 weeks, 6, 12, and 18 months post-BCT. At each time point, participants complete online questionnaires assessing vulnerability and protective factors, mental health and social-emotional functioning, and, at Time 0 only, a battery of neurocognitive tests. A subset of participants also complete structured diagnostic interviews, additional self-report measures, and perform neurobehavioral tasks before and after BCT during EEG sessions, and, at pre-BCT only, during MRI sessions. Results: Study enrollment began April 14, 2019 and ended in October 16, 2021. A total of 1,201 participants are enrolled in the study (68.9% male; mean age = 18.9, SD = 3.0). Follow-up data-collection is ongoing and projected to continue through March 2024. We will disseminate findings through conferences, webinars, open access publications, and communications with participants and stakeholders. Conclusions: Results are expected to elucidate how young military recruits adapt to military stressors during the initial years of military service. Understanding positive adaptation of military recruits in the face of BCT has implications for developing prevention and intervention strategies to enhance resilience of military trainees and potentially other young people facing significant life challenges.

The role of the MMPI-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) in predicting and better understanding engagement in posttraumatic stress disorder treatment.

The ability of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF; Ben-Porath & Tellegen, 2008/2011) scores to predict treatment engagement in veterans referred for empirically supported treatments for symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) was examined. Early withdrawal from treatment and process factors, such as adherence and therapy session attendance, were examined in 100 veterans seeking treatment for trauma-related symptoms who were referred to a Veterans Health Administration medical center's tertiary care clinic for Prolonged Exposure (PE) or Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT). Veterans who scored higher on MMPI-2-RF scales associated with emotional/internalizing problems were more likely to be referred to PE or CPT, but individuals with the highest scores on those scales were also more likely to withdraw before completing treatment. These findings suggest Harkness and Lilienfeld's (1997) call to use personality assessment to guide treatment planning holds promise to better understand treatment engagement. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Examining the Performance of the MMPI-2-RF in a Sample of Pretransplant Military Veterans.

The present study aimed to describe the personality and psychopathology dimensions reported by veterans seeking organ transplantation, as well as to identify those dimensions associated with subsequent presurgical recommendations and transplant outcomes. Data were collected from 245 veterans undergoing a pretransplant psychological evaluation that included the MMPI-2-RF. Three treatment recommendations resulting from these evaluations, three recommendation adherence variables, and two transplant outcomes were extracted from electronic medical records. The sample's MMPI-2-RF scale scores were compared to the normative sample and two other presurgical samples and contrasted across subgroups defined by organ transplanted. Point-biserial correlations and logistic regression analyses examined associations between MMPI-2-RF scale scores and the eight measured outcomes. Results indicated that over-reporting, internalizing tendencies, negative emotionality, and a lack of positive emotions were uniquely predictive of mental health treatment recommendation, whereas somatic over-reporting, externalizing tendencies, and disinhibition were predictive of substance use treatment recommendation. Veterans who reported higher levels of activation were less likely to initiate mental health treatment. Finally, veterans with greater somatic preoccupation were less likely to be listed for organ transplant. More suspicious and mistrustful veterans were less likely to receive the transplant. These findings offer support for the role of the MMPI-2-RF in veteran pretransplant evaluations.

Inconsistent Reporting of Adverse Life Events Is Predicted by Current Internalizing Distress Among Military Service Members.

INTRODUCTION: Accurate measurement of adverse life events is critical for understanding the effects of stressors on health outcomes. However, much of this research uses cross-sectional designs and self-report years after the events take place. The reliability of this retrospective reporting and the individual difference factors associated with inconsistent recall over time are not frequently addressed, especially among military service members. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A longitudinal cohort of National Guard service members (n = 801) completed the Deployment Risk and Resilience Inventory-2 Prior Stressors scale and several measures of general well-being, including anxious depressive symptomatology, personal functioning, perceived social support, and overall health at two time points (before and after completion of basic combat training; median 11-month interval). RESULTS: Consistency in reporting the life event items ranged from 69.5% to 99.7%, with an overall Cohen's kappa coefficient of 0.215 for the scale, indicating minimal agreement. Lower well-being scores at Time 1 independently predicted yes-to-no changes in responding, whereas lower well-being scores at Time 2 independently predicted no-to-yes changes in responding. Follow-up mediations were conducted using study measures available only at Time 2. For all study measures, Time 2 well-being independently predicted changes from no-to-yes responding by way of indirect effects through self-reported non-specific internalizing distress and arousal. CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the confounding effects of fluctuations in current emotional distress on past stressor recall. There is a need for additional caution regarding the use of retrospective self-report of adverse life events in research and clinical practice and greater consideration of current psychological distress at the time of measurement completion.

The Utility of the Trauma Symptom Inventory as a Primary and Secondary Assessment Instrument for Forensic Practice in Legal Settings.

This paper examines the utility of the Trauma Symptom Inventory-2 (TSI-2) and its predecessor, the Trauma Symptom Inventory (TSI) in forensic psychology practice. The instrument's psychometric properties, use with special populations, legal case review and admissibility considerations are discussed. Recommendations regarding the strengths and limitations of the TSI/TSI-2 are suggested for forensic practitioners and lawyers. Considerations related to potential expert witness cross-examination are also presented. Psychological research and legal review suggest that the TSI/TSI-2 is admissible as an instrument under the Daubert Standard, especially as related to civil court disability claims. Still, lingering issues with the ATR validity scale remain and there is limited independent research establishing the predictive and discriminant validity of the TSI-2 across diverse forensic samples. In summary, this suggests the instrument is most effective as part of a comprehensive assessment battery for identifying PTSD symptomology within legal proceedings where a trauma diagnosis is relevant.

Enhancing Discovery of Genetic Variants for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Through Integration of Quantitative Phenotypes and Trauma Exposure Information.

BACKGROUND: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is heritable and a potential consequence of exposure to traumatic stress. Evidence suggests that a quantitative approach to PTSD phenotype measurement and incorporation of lifetime trauma exposure (LTE) information could enhance the discovery power of PTSD genome-wide association studies (GWASs). METHODS: A GWAS on PTSD symptoms was performed in 51 cohorts followed by a fixed-effects meta-analysis (N = 182,199 European ancestry participants). A GWAS of LTE burden was performed in the UK Biobank cohort (N = 132,988). Genetic correlations were evaluated with linkage disequilibrium score regression. Multivariate analysis was performed using Multi-Trait Analysis of GWAS. Functional mapping and annotation of leading loci was performed with FUMA. Replication was evaluated using the Million Veteran Program GWAS of PTSD total symptoms. RESULTS: GWASs of PTSD symptoms and LTE burden identified 5 and 6 independent genome-wide significant loci, respectively. There was a 72% genetic correlation between PTSD and LTE. PTSD and LTE showed largely similar patterns of genetic correlation with other traits, albeit with some distinctions. Adjusting PTSD for LTE reduced PTSD heritability by 31%. Multivariate analysis of PTSD and LTE increased the effective sample size of the PTSD GWAS by 20% and identified 4 additional loci. Four of these 9 PTSD loci were independently replicated in the Million Veteran Program. CONCLUSIONS: Through using a quantitative trait measure of PTSD, we identified novel risk loci not previously identified using prior case-control analyses. PTSD and LTE have a high genetic overlap that can be leveraged to increase discovery power through multivariate methods.

Professional Practice Guidelines for Personality Assessment.

The current paper conveys guidelines for personality assessment developed by a work group formed by the Society for Personality Assessment (SPA), which are intended to serve as an aid for best practices specific to personality assessment for professionals, and a source of information for consumers and policy makers. The guidelines were developed after a careful and systematic review of the literature on personality assessment and examination of practice patterns, and were refined through multiple rounds of input from stakeholders including members of SPA and other professionals routinely conducting personality assessment. The guidelines address the scope of personality assessment and current practice trends, minimum education and training qualifications, ethical practices, diversity considerations, assessment procedures, and appropriate applications. By following these guidelines and other established professional standards, psychologists can help ensure that they practice ethically, competently, with appropriate attention to diversity, and to the highest standards of the profession. These guidelines can function as a resource for educators and supervisors of personality assessment. Additionally, the guidelines will serve as a benchmark for best practices in personality assessment and, as such, represent a first step in what is hoped to be an evolution of ever improving personality assessment standards of practice.

Development of the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire-55 abbreviated research scales.

The Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ) is a normal range inventory for assessing a variety of empirically derived primary traits. These trait scores can be differentially weighted to estimate higher-order broad dimensions such as Positive Emotionality (PEM), Negative Emotionality (NEM), and Constraint (CON). However, broad trait scores are estimated using proprietary regression equations and necessitate near complete administration of the inventory. We aimed to increase measurement efficiency by creating abbreviated item-based approximations of these weighted scores. To parsimoniously delineate and differentiate the broad traits, classical test theory and item response theory approaches were used to identify five items from each primary trait scale approximating the weighted estimates while also maintaining the breadth of MPQ content coverage. Initial scale development relied on the MPQ-276 (standard form) normative sample (n = 1,237), which was followed by cross-validation using two samples of twins and cotwins from the Minnesota Twin Family Study (n = 1,304, n = 1,305). Additional validation was conducted using a third sample of undergraduate students (n = 201).The resulting item-based scales (PEM-20, NEM-15, CON-15) demonstrated strong convergence with the established proprietary broad trait estimates. Furthermore, these abbreviated scales exhibited similar associations with the external measures of personality and psychopathology. Abbreviated item-based scales may have utility for efficient estimation of the same broadband personality dimensions assessed by longer forms of the MPQ. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Pre-deployment personality traits predict prescription opioid receipt over 2-year post-deployment period in a longitudinal cohort of deployed National Guard soldiers.

BACKGROUND: While military service members are at risk forpain conditions, receipt of prescribed opioids is associated with a range of serious adverse outcomes. The goal of this study is to examine the association between pre-deployment personality traits and receipt of prescription opioids after return from deployment. METHOD: Data were drawn from the Readiness and Resilience in National Guard Soldiers (RINGS) cohort study, an ongoing study of post-deployment health. Participants (N = 522) completed baseline assessments one month prior to deploying to Iraq (2006-2007). At baseline, we assessed personality traits using abbreviated versions of the Personality Psychopathology Five scales from the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2. Follow-up assessments were conducted three months, one year, and two years post-deployment. The primary outcome was total amount of prescribed opioids dispensed from Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient pharmacies in the two-year period following soldiers' return from deployment. Unadjusted and adjusted negative binomial regression models examined the relationships of pre-deployment personality traits, demographics (age, gender, and rank), baseline trauma symptoms, deployment related risk factors (difficult living/working environment, deployment injury, combat exposure), and post-deployment trauma symptoms with post-deployment opioid prescribing. RESULTS: Disconstraint, negative emotionality, and introversion/low positive emotionality were associated with receipt of more prescribed opioids over the two years after return from deployment. Personality traits measured at baseline remained statistically significantly after adjusting for all eight baseline and deployment risk factors of interest. CONCLUSIONS: Understanding how pre-deployment personality traits contribute to post-deployment prescription opioid use could inform efforts to improve veterans' health.

Assessing the Clinical Utility of the MMPI-2-RF in Detecting Suicidal Ideation in a High Acuity, Partially-Hospitalized Veteran Sample.

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF; Ben-Porath & Tellegen, 2008/2011) has demonstrated utility in suicide risk assessment. Limited research with the MMPI-2-RF in higher acuity populations exists, particularly regarding the impact of possible underreporting on prediction of suicide risk. The current study serves to extend previous findings of the utility of clinically indicated MMPI-2-RF scales and proxy indices in 293 veterans (83.62% White, 85.32% male, and 74.40% with past-week suicide ideation) enrolled in a Veterans Affairs Medical Center partial psychiatric hospitalization program. Differences in self-report indicators and MMPI-2-RF scales and proxy indices relevant in assessing suicide ideation between veterans indicated as possibly underreporting and those who were not and the ability of the scales and proxy indices to predict current suicide ideation were examined. These indicators, scales, and proxy indices, with the exception of SUI, were significantly impacted by underreporting, and none of the examined scales or proxy indices (or their interaction) were consistently associated with self-reported suicide ideation after accounting for SUI. However, SUI was consistently associated with suicide ideation and was less influenced by under-reporting. In acutely ill psychiatric patients, SUI may be the most robust indicator of current suicide ideation.

International meta-analysis of PTSD genome-wide association studies identifies sex- and ancestry-specific genetic risk loci.

The risk of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following trauma is heritable, but robust common variants have yet to be identified. In a multi-ethnic cohort including over 30,000 PTSD cases and 170,000 controls we conduct a genome-wide association study of PTSD. We demonstrate SNP-based heritability estimates of 5-20%, varying by sex. Three genome-wide significant loci are identified, 2 in European and 1 in African-ancestry analyses. Analyses stratified by sex implicate 3 additional loci in men. Along with other novel genes and non-coding RNAs, a Parkinson's disease gene involved in dopamine regulation, PARK2, is associated with PTSD. Finally, we demonstrate that polygenic risk for PTSD is significantly predictive of re-experiencing symptoms in the Million Veteran Program dataset, although specific loci did not replicate. These results demonstrate the role of genetic variation in the biology of risk for PTSD and highlight the necessity of conducting sex-stratified analyses and expanding GWAS beyond European ancestry populations.

Distinguishing Levels of Suicide Risk in Depressed Male Veterans: The Role of Internalizing and Externalizing Psychopathology as Measured by the MMPI-2-RF.

Suicide occurs at high rates among veterans, underscoring a need for improved identification of veterans at risk of engaging in suicidal behavior. Considering dimensions of psychopathology in the context of an ideation-to-action framework, the present study examined the utility of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form in distinguishing depressed, psychiatrically hospitalized male veterans ( N = 430) at varying levels of suicide risk. Analysis of variance and hierarchical logistic regression analyses indicated that internalizing scales differentiated depressed ideators ( n = 147) and depressed controls ( n = 143); and in line with expectations, both broad and narrowly focused externalizing scales provided incremental validity in distinguishing depressed attempters ( n = 140) from depressed ideators. Interactions between Suicidal/Death Ideation and externalizing scale scores were found to differentiate only depressed ideators from depressed controls. Clinical implications in the areas of suicide risk assessment and therapeutic interventions with suicidal veterans are discussed.

Burdensomeness, Belongingness, and Capability: Assessing the Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide With MMPI-2-RF Scales.

Given the emerging body of literature demonstrating the validity of the interpersonal-psychological theory of suicide (IPTS), and the importance of increasing our understanding of the development of risk factors associated with suicidal behavior, it seems worthwhile both to expand IPTS research via Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) correlates and to expand the availability of methods by which to assess the constructs of the IPTS. The present study attempted to do so in a large adult outpatient mental health sample by (a) inspecting associations between the IPTS constructs and the substantive scales of the MMPI-2-RF and (b) exploring the utility of MMPI-2-RF scale-based algorithms of the IPTS constructs. Correlates between the IPTS constructs and the MMPI-2-RF scales scores largely followed a pattern consistent with theory-based predictions, and we provide preliminary evidence that the IPTS constructs can be reasonably approximated using theoretically based MMPI-2-RF substantive scales. Implications of these findings are discussed.

At-home partner sleep functioning over the course of military deployment.

Although the negative effects of deployment on the health of military spouses have been studied, research on sleep disruptions remains limited. This study investigates trajectories of sleep complaints over the course of deployment and predictors of these changes among a cohort of at-home partners. Data were drawn from the Readiness and Resilience in National Guard Soldiers (RINGS-2) project, a prospective, longitudinal study of National Guard soldiers deployed to Iraq/Kuwait (2011-2012) and their intimate partners. Spouses or cohabiting partners (N = 686) of soldiers completed assessments of risk/protective factors 2 to 5 months before their partners' deployment (Time 1), 4 months (Time 2) and 8 months (Time 3) into the deployment, and 2 to 3 months following the soldiers' return (Time 4). Latent class growth analyses (LCGA) revealed quadratic change in partners' sleep over the deployment cycle, characterized by 4 distinct trajectories: resilient (61%), deployment-onset sleep problems (22%), deployment improvement (10%), and chronic (7%) groups. Predeployment and during deployment predictors of partners' sleep complaints varied by group and included negative emotionality, depression symptoms, alcohol use, low negative communication, and family stressors. Understanding the course of sleep complaints and potentially modifiable risk-factors among at-home partners during deployment may be useful for prevention and targeted intervention efforts. (PsycINFO Database Record