A systematic review of interventions for supporting partners of military Veterans with PTSD

Abstract

Introduction: Partners of military Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health difficulties can themselves develop difficulties with stress, well-being, and secondary trauma. Various interventions exist which involve partners of military personnel, but very few with an explicit focus on the partners’ well-being. This article aims to conduct a systematic review of these interventions and outline the range of interventions and the outcomes measured. Methods: We conducted a systematic literature search, from which 25 papers were reviewed. Papers were included if they described any form of intervention in which a partner was involved, where the Veteran was described as having PTSD, and where the aim of the intervention was aimed at least partly at improving the well-being of partners. Results: We found various types of interventions, such as group-based interventions, residential retreats, couples therapies, Internet-based interventions, and family-based interventions. Of the 25 studies reviewed, 21 reported on well-being outcomes, either via randomized controlled trials (RCTs), evaluations, or case studies. In most cases, interventions reported improvements in the well-being of partners, although there were very few controlled studies. Only a small number of interventions were aimed solely at partners. The most common feature of interventions was psychoeducation on topics such as communication, problem solving, and emotion regulation. Many papers described the advantages of group processes such as social support and normalization, gained from partners sharing experiences with one another. Discussion: A wide range of formats exist of interventions for improving the well-being of military partners. The literature would benefit from more robust experimental research into their effectiveness, and exploration of interventions aimed directly at the well-being of partners.

‘He messaged me the other night and said you are my saviour’: An interpretative phenomenological analysis of intimate partners’ roles in supporting Veterans with mental health difficulties

“…Th is understanding of being a vigilant caregiver could provide valuable insight into family-and couple-based interventions, such as those proposed by Turgoose and Murphy. 38 Th e fi ndings from this study suggest that many forms of intervention, such as psychoeducation, Internet-based interventions, and residential retreats, are successful in improving the mental well-being of intimate partners; however, group-based interventions were especially highlighted for the connections formed between participants. 38 Sharing an understanding of the diffi culties faced while supporting a Veteran, as well as unpacking their role as a vigilant caregiver in a social context, may have contributed to the connections that were formed and could form the basis for future interventions.…”

Caring for carers: Understanding the physical and psychological well‐being of carers of veterans in Australia

“…Military families face specific challenges associated with service; these challenges may differ based on whether the service member is still serving or has transitioned from the military. For serving families, issues include family relationship strain and separation due to deployment; interruption to children's education, difficulties for partners in gaining employment, and lack of social support and extended family networks; attributable to relocation, as well as service‐related injury and family member health issues (Manser, 2020; Tan, 2020; Turgoose & Murphy, 2019). For families with members no longer serving, posttransition challenges may include housing, employment, and financial stability, loss of identity and social networks for the former‐serving member, and service‐related health issues such as PTSD and physical injury (Miller et al., 2019; Muir, 2018; Tan, 2020; The Centre for Social Justice, 2016).…”

“…Carers may need to be hypervigilant, to identify and manage environmental and social situations that could trigger reactions from care recipients living with service‐related PTSD, trauma or brain injury (Miller et al., 2019; Saban et al., 2016). Family carers of veterans may also experience secondary trauma or psychological impacts (Turgoose & Murphy, 2019). Qualitative research into understanding the experiences of carers veterans with posttraumatic stress demonstrates that some carers feel socially disconnected and that there is generally a lack of understanding of their role as carers (Waddell et al., 2016) – feelings which may serve as impediments to their mental health.…”

Impacts of Internet-Based Interventions for Veterans With PTSD: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…To reduce PTSD symptoms, a meta-analysis suggested that iCBT for PTSD was efficacious, and only one study was analyzed based on a military sample ( Niemeyer et al, 2020 ). One review included 12 studies to access the interventions for supporting partners of military veterans with PTSD, among which only one was based on IBI ( Turgoose and Murphy, 2019 ). However, IBIs in other groups were tested as effective in supporting informal caregivers ( Sherifali et al, 2018 ), which helped us to see the potential of IBI on veterans with PTSD in our study.…”