Exposure to combat experiences: PTSD, somatization and aggression amongst combat and non‐combat veterans

Harwood-Gross, Anna; Stern, Naftali; Brom, Danny

doi:10.1002/ijop.12917

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…For example, according to an Israeli study, soldiers exposed to combat were 2.8 times more prone to displaying aggression after their service compared to those who had not been exposed (Harwood-Gross et al, 2023). A child's declining mental well-being can lead to secondary PTSD among their parents (Zerach & Gordon-Shalev, 2022).…”

Section: Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Worldwide, there is extensive research examining the impact of military service on soldiers' mental health. During their service, soldiers encounter a wide array of stressful and potentially traumatic combat and war-related events, significantly elevating the risk of mental disorders (Harwood-Gross et al, 2023;Inoue et al, 2023). This may include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, aggression, somatic symptoms, and other related conditions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Being a parent of a soldier is a challenging experience – stress, anxiety, and depression among parents of Israeli soldiers

Savitsky,

Shvartsur

2024

Stress and Health

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At any given moment, a notable proportion of parents worldwide have at least one child serving in the military. The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress in the sample of parents of Israeli soldiers and to assess the difference in this prevalence by type of service (combat vs. non‐combat) and other demographic characteristics of parents and soldiers. A cross‐sectional study of a convenience sample of 202 Israeli parents who were interviewed during January‐September 2023. Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS‐21) was used to measure the emotional states of depression, anxiety, and stress (with cut‐off points of ≥5, ≥4, and ≥8, respectively). Having depression, anxiety, or stress was defined as psychological distress. Parents' demographics and child's service characteristics were included in the multivariable logistic regression model, with psychological distress as a dependent variable. Almost a quarter (22.8%) of parents experienced distress, defined as having high depression, anxiety, or stress score. In a multivariable model, combat service (vs. non‐combat) was significantly associated with distress: parents of combat soldiers were four times more likely to report distress than parents of non‐combat soldiers (OR = 3.9; 95% CI: 1.3–11.8). Highly classified service preventing the child from sharing information with the parents was significantly associated with distress (OR = 2.6; 95% CI: 1.2–5.3). Most distressed parents (78.3%) did not seek professional help, with the vast majority of those seeking assistance were female. Given the substantial proportion of parents suffering from mental distress found in this study, especially parents of combat soldiers and those serving in highly classified positions, healthcare professionals should be aware of parents' difficulties, be proactive in gathering information about their mental well‐being, and be prepared to provide professional help.

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Section: Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Being a parent of a soldier is a challenging experience – stress, anxiety, and depression among parents of Israeli soldiers

Savitsky,

Shvartsur

2024

Stress and Health

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Phenomenology of Somatization in Immigrants: An Idealtypical Approach

Aragona,

Ferrari,

Cavallo

et al. 2024

Psychopathology

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Introduction: Somatization in immigrants is frequent but standard studies do not differentiate between various forms of somatization. In this qualitative study, we used an idealtypical approach with the aim of phenomenologically differentiating between different forms of somatization in immigrants. Methods: The clinical description of the ideal types was based on seven levels: medical examination; description of somatization symptoms; the patients’ own interpretation of their somatic experience; concomitant psychopathological phenomena; genetic understanding; clinician’s interpretation; and course and treatment. Results: Five different ideal typologies of patients emerged: anxious hypochondriasis, somatization with cultural features playing a pathogenetic role, culturally shaped somatization (through pathoplastic effects), somatization as part of adjustment reactions due to migratory living difficulties, and somatization as post-traumatic reaction. Conclusion: These differences are useful to highlight the complex interrelationship between socioeconomic, migratory, cultural, and value factors in the construction of somatization among immigrants. Implications for research methodology, nosology, clinical management, and organization of medical facilities are also discussed.

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The Mediating Role of Poor Sleep Quality in the Relationship Between Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Aggression in Combatants

Boiko,

Zhyvotovska,

Chopra

2024

Med. and Ecol. probl.

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Introduction. Stress-related mental disorders pose a significant risk to a patient's social, emotional, and physical well-being. One of the most vulnerable categories of the population to the development of stress-related mental disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder, in wartime is military personnel who are constantly faced with events that threaten their lives and health. The most common complaints of combatants with PTSD include sleep disturbances and aggression. Therefore, we hypothesized that poor sleep quality may mediate the association between PTSD and aggression in combat veterans. Methods and materials. We conducted a clinical study of 45 combatants, who were divided into the following groups: group 1 (n=24) – combatants with PTSD, and group 2 (n=21) – combatants without stress-related mental disorders. We measured sleep quality by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and aggression by the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using Jamovi Desktop. The mediation analysis was performed using the medmod 1.1.0 and advanced mediation models 1.0.5. Results. We found a strong statistically significant effect of PTSD on physical aggression (p<0.001). However, the mediating role of sleep was not found (p=0.264), as the effect of sleep disturbance on physical aggression was not confirmed (p=0.257), despite the strong effect of PTSD on sleep disturbance (p<0.001). It was found that the indirect effect of mediation through poor sleep quality accounted for 74.1% of the mediation of the relationship between PTSD and hostility. We established a partial mediation of the relationship between PTSD and aggressiveness by poor sleep quality. The direct effect accounts for 47.6% of the mediation, and the indirect effect through sleep disturbances accounts for 52.4%, which confirms the role of poor sleep quality as a mediator in this model. Concluions. Our findings emphasize that sleep disturbance is a significant symptom of PTSD that can affect other aspects of the disease in combatants. In this study, we demonstrate that poor sleep quality mediates hostility fully and general aggression partially in combatants with PTSD.

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Exposure to combat experiences: PTSD, somatization and aggression amongst combat and non‐combat veterans

Cited by 3 publications

References 41 publications

Being a parent of a soldier is a challenging experience – stress, anxiety, and depression among parents of Israeli soldiers

Being a parent of a soldier is a challenging experience – stress, anxiety, and depression among parents of Israeli soldiers

Phenomenology of Somatization in Immigrants: An Idealtypical Approach

The Mediating Role of Poor Sleep Quality in the Relationship Between Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Aggression in Combatants

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