Behavioral Sciences Division, National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
J Trauma Stress. 2013 Aug;26(4):507-11. doi: 10.1002/jts.21823. Epub 2013 Jul 25.
The relationship between military combat and postdeployment family functioning difficulties has been frequently investigated in the literature, as has the relationship between types of coping and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Few studies, however, have examined these variables together, and no studies of which we are aware have examined the effect of coping on family functioning after combat exposure. This study examined coping style measured immediately after return from deployment, and PTSD symptoms and family functioning 18-24 months after return from deployment in a sample of Operation Desert Shield/Storm veterans (N = 2,949). Structural equation models suggested that the relationships between distinct coping styles on family functioning were differentially mediated by postdeployment PTSD symptoms. Results are consistent with full mediation for avoidant coping (βdirect = -.09, p = .07; βindirect = -.17, p < .001) and partial mediation for approach coping (βdirect = .16, p < .001; βindirect = .09, p < .001). Results suggest that the strategies used to cope with a combat stress event may impact both PTSD and family functioning outcomes, and highlight the potential utility of pre- and postdeployment coping skills training.
军事战斗与部署后家庭功能障碍之间的关系在文献中经常被研究，应对方式与创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）之间的关系也是如此。然而，很少有研究同时检查这些变量，并且我们所知的没有研究检查应对方式对战斗暴露后家庭功能的影响。本研究在从部署返回后立即测量应对方式，并在从部署返回后 18-24 个月时评估 PTSD 症状和家庭功能，在一项“沙漠盾牌/风暴行动”退伍军人样本中（N = 2949）。结构方程模型表明，不同应对方式与家庭功能之间的关系通过部署后 PTSD 症状以不同的方式进行中介。结果与回避应对方式的完全中介（β直接= -.09，p =.07；β间接= -.17，p <.001）和接近应对方式的部分中介一致（β直接=.16，p <.001；β间接=.09，p <.001）。结果表明，应对战斗压力事件的策略可能会同时影响 PTSD 和家庭功能障碍的结果，并强调了部署前和部署后应对技能培训的潜在效用。
