Deployment and PTSD in the Female Combat Veteran: A Systematic Review

Abstract

The numbers of veterans screening for PTSD are increasing. Those who have experienced extended or multiple tours have higher screening rates. Females report slightly less combat exposure than males but higher exposures to other stressors of war such as military sexual trauma. Females were at higher risk for depression while males were at higher risk of substance abuse. Females and lower rank were associated with greater utilization of Veterans Administration services.

Chronic social stress induces DNA methylation changes at an evolutionary conserved intergenic region in chromosome X

“…This has been highlighted by previous studies showing that prior exposure to stress [1,2], including chronic stress, increases risk for depression [3]. Studies have also shown that the chronicity of stress increases the likelihood of post-traumatic stress syndrome [4,5]. In rodent models of chronic stress, anxiety-like behavior has been observed, including reduced time in the open arms of an elevated plus maze [6], and depression-like behavior has similarly been observed, such as reduced time to immobility in the forced swim test [7].…”

“Shelter from the Storm”: Military Service Member Spousal Caregiver Challenges and Barriers to Resources in the Midst of Enduring Conflicts

“…The enduring nature of the Global War on Terrorism has created a generation of active duty service members and recently retired veterans who spent the majority of their careers training and deploying to combat. Their long-term persistent service heightens the likelihood of symptoms of PTSD, moral distress, or moral injury (Frankfurt & Frazier, 2016) and the enduring nature of the conflicts means many remained undertreated or undiagnosed for extensive periods of time (Conard & Sauls, 2014). In the past decade, expansive research has begun to study the psychological implications of these extensive conflicts on service members and has begun to offer ways to mitigate and treat this generation.…”

Examining the Psychophysiological Efficacy of CBT Treatment for First Responders Diagnosed With PTSD: An Understudied Topic

“…The author posits that what renders first responders' trauma idiosyncratic compared with the general public who may or may not experience trauma is the exposure to a myriad of life-threatening situations that may be present (e.g., violent criminal shoots a cop) or eminent (e.g., officers respond to a domestic violence call). However, researchers found that increased number of deployment tours of military personnel in the combat zone is related to higher risk of PTSD development because exposure to potentially traumatic incidents is accumulated over multiple deployments (Conard & Sauls, 2014;Reger, Gahm, Swanson, & Duma, 2009). The American Psychiatric Association (APA; 1980) defined trauma as a horrific event that is beyond the scope of the normal human experience.…”