Objective
Treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a commonly sought mental health service among military service members and veterans (SM/Vs). Such treatment is typically individually‐based, despite many SM/Vs reporting a desire for greater partner involvement in treatment. This review examined couple‐based treatments for PTSD among SM/Vs and their romantic partners.
Method
A database search conducted in July, 2018 yielded 167 studies, of which 16 (10%) met inclusion criteria. Brief intervention summaries, effect sizes, and distress change scores (where applicable) are reported.
Results
The 16 studies tested 7 interventions, which showed a reduction in self‐rated and clinician‐rated PTSD symptoms with large effect sizes observed in most studies. Relationship outcomes also improved for SM/Vs and their partners, with effect sizes ranging from small‐to‐medium for SM/Vs and small‐to‐large for partners.
Conclusions
Couple‐based interventions show success in reducing PTSD symptoms and improving relationship outcomes, offering several alternatives to individual‐based interventions among partnered SM/Vs.
Nearly half of adults in the U.S. indicated they had a close step-relative that included stepparents, stepchildren, and other close relationships. The prevalence of stepfamilies is rapidly increasing and represents a population that remains largely understudied. This study explored the roles of socioemotional behaviors (positivity, negativity, and sexual interest) on marital stability for different remarriage constellations (depending which of the couple, both partners, or neither had previous children). This study uses dyadic relationship data from 879 couples. It was hypothesized that positivity and sexual interest would be inversely related with marital instability, while negativity will be correlated with marital instability.
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