Forty-three Vietnam veterans seeking psychological services at a Los Angeles Veterans Administration medical center were assigned to positive and negative groups of PosttraumaticStressDisorder(PTSD) based on the Diagnostic andStatistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III; American Psychiatric Association, 1980). Subjects were extensively assessed to examine the relative contributions of premilitary adjustment, military adjustment, and extent of combat exposure to the development of combat-related, chronic PTSD. In addition, groups were compared on profiles from the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and a psychological problem checklist. Results of multiple regression analyses demonstrated that combat exposure and, to a lesser degree, military adjustment were significantly related to PTSD symptomatology, whereas premilitary adjustment was not. Discriminant function analyses showed that the MMPI had moderate ability to correctly classify subjects on the basis of PTSD diagnosis. However, problem checklist items indicative of anxiety-based disorders, particularly generalized anxiety and pervasive disgust, formed a discriminant function that correctly classified more than 90% of study subjects. Results were discussed in terms of implications for an empirically derived conceptualization of PTSD and further research directions.

Help-seeking Vietnam combat veterans with a diagnosis of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD; n = 21) were compared with help-seeking combat veterans without evidence of PTSD (n = 18) and help-seeking veterans with minimal combat experience (n = 2 l) on indexes of cohabitating and marital adjustment. Also, premilitary adjustment was assessed and validated by relative's reports. The PTSD group reported significantly more problems than did the other groups with self-disclosure and expressiveness to their partners, physical aggression toward their partners, and global relationship adjustment. The PTSD group did not differ from the other groups on measures of intimacy and affectionate behavior. The findings were not attributable to premilitary adjustment, response style, or demographic factors. The results were compared with findings of previous studies and discussed in terms of their implications for assessment, treatment, and future research. The research project was supported by Rehabilitation Research and Training Center Grant 26 to Edward M. Carroll. Special thanks are due to Robert Liberman, Byron Wittlin, and Seymour Feshbach for their continuing support and assistance during the project. The authors would also like to express their appreciation to Kelly Cline, Arnetta Counts, Phyllis Prado, Jill Bruchner, and Penny Felix for their help in data reduction and manuscript preparation. Requests for reprints should be sent to Edward M. Carroll, Brentwood Veterans Administration Medical Center (691/Bi 17),

This article addresses concerns raised by M. C. Neale (1999) in his commentary on the D. A. Bussell et al. (1999) Nonshared Environment in Adolescent Development (NEAD) study. These concerns fall into two categories: (a) model assumptions and sample design and (b) testing of alternative models. The validity of the assumptions of quantitative genetic models is a concern for all researchers in this area. Discussion of those assumptions in this reply is brief and focuses on those most relevant to the NEAD sample. The two alternative models proposed by Neale were designed to provide alternatives to the large shared environmental effect found in the original report of Bussell et al. Because these alternative models did not provide a better fit, the appropriateness of Bussell et al.'s basic model and the importance of shared environmental influences for explaining the association among family subsystems are supported.

This paper presents a review of empirical literature that deals with etiological factors in combat‐related post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Variables implicated in PTSD from three time frames, premilitary, military, and postmilitary, are identified, and findings from relevant research are discussed. There is consistency across studies in showing significant correlations between PTSD and combat exposure and post‐military psychosocial adjustment. Less consistent are the finding with regard to relationships between premilitary psychosocial factors and PTSD. Recent findings from studies that have explored possible physiological correlates of PTSD also are discussed. Based on current literature, implications for future research on etiological factors in combat‐related PTSD are presented.