Partner accommodation in posttraumatic stress disorder: Initial testing of the Significant Others’ Responses to Trauma Scale (SORTS)

Fredman, Steffany J.; Vorstenbosch, Valerie; Wagner, Anne Catherine; Macdonald, Alexandra; Monson, Candice M.

doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2014.04.001

Cited by 106 publications

(190 citation statements)

References 42 publications

(56 reference statements)

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“…However, the use of such strategies has been negatively labeled as a maladaptive form of coping (Chakrabarti & Gill, 2002) and as partner accommodation by some authors (Fredman, Vorstenbosch, Wagner, Macdonald, & Monson, 2014). Despite the consequences for their own psychological health, participants in our study identified this coping strategy as the "easier" option for keeping the peace they want in their lives.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 60%

The Lived Experience of Caring for an Australian Military Veteran With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

2016

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A bst ractThere is limited literature on the experience of caring for an intimate partner with a mental health condition. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common mental health condition for military veterans; yet, little is known about how partners experience and cope with these caring relationships. Using an interpretive phenomenological approach, we collected data through individual interviews with 20 female partners of male veterans diagnosed with PTSD living in South Australia. W e found the emotional features of caring to be directly derived from the strength of commitment these carers had to their relationships. W e show that lack of understanding of carers' lives, particularly by health providers and government, has resulted in a sense of social disconnect and invisibility that has contributed to stress and is a barrier to coping. Of vital importance to these carers was that partners of younger veterans do not have to suffer the same experiences.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 60%

The Lived Experience of Caring for an Australian Military Veteran With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

2016

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“…For example, partners may engage in accommodating or other treatment-interfering behavior that contributes to the dyad's relationship distress and create impediments to recovery from PTSD (Fredman, Vorstenbosch, Wagner, Macdonald, & Monson, 2014), but including partners in CBCT for PTSD helps to blunt the impact of these maladaptive partner behaviors (Fredman, Pukay-Martin, Macdonald, Wagner, Vorstenbosch, & Monson, 2015). Additionally, maladaptive relationship-based behaviors, such as poor communication, may interfere with adaptive trauma disclosure, and poor conflict management may work to maintain the symptoms of the disorder.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A preliminary examination of the effects of pretreatment relationship satisfaction on treatment outcomes in cognitive-behavioral conjoint therapy for PTSD.

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Pukay‐Martin

Sharma

et al. 2015

Couple and Family Psychology: Research and Practice

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Objective The primary goal of the present study was to investigate whether pre-treatment relationship satisfaction predicted treatment drop-out and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom outcomes within a trial of cognitive-behavioral conjoint therapy (CBCT) for PTSD (Monson & Fredman, 2012). Additionally, we examined the influence of pre-treatment relationship distress on relationship outcomes. Method Thirty-seven patients and their intimate partners who participated in a course of CBCT for PTSD were assessed for PTSD symptoms with the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale and PTSD Checklist, and for intimate relationship functioning with the Dyadic Adjustment Scale. CBCT for PTSD is a conjoint therapy designed to improve PTSD symptoms and enhance relationship functioning. Patients had to meet diagnostic criteria for PTSD to be included in the study; however, couples were not required to be in distressed relationships to receive treatment. Results Neither patients’ nor partners’ pre-treatment relationship satisfaction, nor their interaction, predicted treatment drop-out (ORs = .97-1.01) or completing patients’ post-treatment PTSD symptom severity (sr2 ≤ .03). However, participants who were in distressed relationships prior to treatment made greater gains in relationship satisfaction compared with those who began treatment in more satisfied relationships (g = 1.02). Conclusions Among patients receiving CBCT for PTSD, treatment drop-out and improvements in PTSD symptoms may be independent of pre-treatment relationship functioning, whereas improvements in relational functioning may be greater among those distressed prior to treatment.

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“…Partner accommodation of PTSD symptoms has been reported anecdotally in the literature for the last few decades (e.g., Figley, 1989; Maloney, 1988, Verbosky & Ryan, 1988), but only recently has the construct been explored empirically. Fredman, Vorstenbosch, Wagner, Macdonald, and Monson (2014) found that scores on a newly created measure of partner accommodation of PTSD were strongly associated with partners’ perceptions of trauma survivors’ PTSD symptom severity and with additional distress in romantic partners. Moreover, greater accommodation interfered with natural symptom remission in a sample of largely female, civilian trauma survivors (Fredman et al, 2016).…”

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confidence: 97%

A Daily Diary Study of Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms and Romantic Partner Accommodation

et al. 2017

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Little is known about the role of romantic partner symptom accommodation in PTSD symptom maintenance. To explore the bidirectional associations of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and romantic partner symptom accommodation over time, military servicemen (n = 64) with symptoms of PTSD and their co-habiting heterosexual civilian romantic partners (n = 64) completed a 2-week daily diary study. Cross-lagged, autoregressive models assessed the stability of men’s PTSD symptoms and partners’ accommodation, as well as the prospective associations of earlier PTSD symptoms with later accommodation and vice versa. Analyses used Bayesian estimation to provide point estimates (b) and Credible Intervals (CIs). In all models, PTSD symptoms (total and individual clusters) were highly stable (b = 0.91; CI: 0.88–0.95), and accommodation was moderately stable (b = 0.48; CI: 0.40–0.54). In all models, earlier PTSD symptoms (total and clusters) were significantly, positively associated with later accommodation (b = 0.04; CI: 0.02–0.07). In contrast, earlier accommodation was significantly associated only with later situational avoidance (b = 0.02; CI: 0.00–0.07). Thus, PTSD symptoms may lead to subsequent accommodating behaviors in romantic partners, but partner accommodation seems to contribute only to survivors’ future situational avoidance symptoms. The findings reinforce the notion that PTSD symptoms have an impact on relationship behaviors, and that accommodation from partners may sustain avoidant behaviors in particular. Clinicians should attend to romantic partners’ accommodating behaviors when working with survivors.

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Partner accommodation in posttraumatic stress disorder: Initial testing of the Significant Others’ Responses to Trauma Scale (SORTS)

Cited by 106 publications

References 42 publications

The Lived Experience of Caring for an Australian Military Veteran With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

The Lived Experience of Caring for an Australian Military Veteran With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

A preliminary examination of the effects of pretreatment relationship satisfaction on treatment outcomes in cognitive-behavioral conjoint therapy for PTSD.

A Daily Diary Study of Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms and Romantic Partner Accommodation

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