The existing literature has shown that war veterans' posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms are associated with a higher level of distress in their female partners. However, less agreement exists regarding the sources of this distress and the mechanism by which this process occurs. The current study examined the consequences of Israeli war veterans' PTSD on their female partners, as manifested by the females' PTSD symptoms, mental health status, and functioning, while taking into account females' earlier traumatic events. Using the theory of ambiguous loss, it also suggested boundary ambiguity as a mediating variable by which the PTSD of the male veteran is transmitted to his female partner. Participants were 300 men who had served in the 2006 Israel-Lebanon War and their female partners. Results revealed direct associations between males' PTSD and their female partners' PTSD, functioning, and mental health. In addition, boundary ambiguity mediated the association between males' PTSD and females' adjustment. Finally, females' own earlier traumatic events were directly associated with their own PTSD symptoms. Implications of this model for intervention and research are further discussed.
Findings support the theory that although higher empathy can play a positive role in military couples in which the male partner displays symptoms of PTSS symptoms, it can also contribute negatively to her distress. (PsycINFO Database Record
Under conditions of profound stress, individuals in high-risk occupations may experience an acute stress reaction (ASR). Given that ASRs may interfere with functioning, placing the team in danger, the Israel Defense Forces developed YaHaLOM training to teach service members how to manage ASRs in team members. YaHaLOM is a novel, rapid, peer-based intervention specifically designed for use in the midst of a high-stress event. In all, 904 Israeli combat soldiers participated in the study; 76% reported having received YaHaLOM, and 24% reported that they had not. In addition to measures of knowledge about managing ASRs, confidence in managing ASRs, and stigma-related attitudes toward ASRs, questions also addressed training approach, including the use of a video and instructor type. Participants who reported receiving YaHaLOM also reported more knowledge about managing an ASR, more confidence in managing an ASR, less external stigma, and more normative views of ASRs. Being trained with a video was associated with more confidence and less self-stigma than being trained without a video. Instructor type was not associated with differences in knowledge, confidence, or stigma-related attitudes. The study is limited by cross-sectional self-report data. Nevertheless, results suggest YaHaLOM may prepare soldiers to manage ASRs in team members; future studies are needed to assess intervention efficacy and to expand this research to other high-risk occupational contexts.
Objective:The purpose of this study was to pilot the iCOVER curriculum-a training product designed to teach service members how to recognize and respond to acute stress reactions (ASRs) using a simple, 6-step procedure, iCOVER. Three goals guided the pilot: (a) assess training acceptability, (b) assess impact of training on knowledge and performance of the iCOVER procedure, and (c) explore the effects of in-person and computer-simulated practical exercises. Method: Six military squads (N ϭ 66) were randomly assigned to 3 conditions: iCOVER Standard (iCOVER instruction with an in-person practical exercise), iCOVER Tech (iCOVER instruction with a computer-simulated practical exercise), or Control (no iCOVER instruction). Squads in the iCOVER conditions received iCOVER instruction, completed a knowledge test and practical exercise to which they were assigned (i.e., Standard or Tech), demonstrated their iCOVER skills in live-action scenarios, and reported their perceptions of the training. Results: iCOVER training was acceptable to most participants and associated with improved knowledge about iCOVER (M pre ϭ 3.33 vs. M post ϭ 5.15; t[42] ϭ Ϫ7.61, p Ͻ .001, d ϭ 1.41); iCOVER Standard resulted in more iCOVER behaviors during a live-action scenario compared with the other conditions, F(2, 35) ϭ 13.36, p Ͻ .001, 2 ϭ 0.43. Compared with iCOVER Tech, iCOVER Standard had greater acceptability and resulted in better performance of iCOVER. Conclusions: This is the first U.S. demonstration of a training program designed to address ASRs during high-risk operations and offers a potential way ahead for preparing military teams to manage ASRs.
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