Mondragon Sasha A, Wang David, Pritchett Lonique, Graham David P, Plasencia M Leili, Teng Ellen J
Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center.
Psychol Serv. 2015 Nov;12(4):402-11. doi: 10.1037/ser0000050.
Military sexual trauma (MST) encompasses experiences of sexual harassment and/or assault that occur during active duty military service. MST is associated with postdeployment mental health, interpersonal, and physical difficulties and appears to be more influential in the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than other active duty experiences, including combat, among women veterans. Although some literature suggests that men who experience MST also evidence significant postdeployment difficulties, research in this area is lacking. The current study evaluated a large sample of returning male veterans (N = 961) who served in Iraq and/or Afghanistan. Veterans were referred for treatment in a trauma and anxiety specialty clinic at a large VA hospital. Of this sample, 18% (n = 173) reported MST perpetrated by a member of their unit. Results indicated veterans who reported MST were younger (p = .001), less likely to be currently married (p < .001), more likely to be diagnosed with a mood disorder (p = .040), and more likely to have experienced non-MST sexual abuse either as children or adults (p < .001). Analyses revealed that MST was negatively associated with postdeployment social support (p < .001 and positively associated with postdeployment perceived emotional mistreatment (p = .004), but was not associated with postdeployment loss of romantic relationship (p = .264), job loss (p = .351), or unemployment (p = .741) after statistically controlling for other trauma exposures and current social support. Results reflect the detrimental associations of MST on male veterans and the need for more research in this area. These findings also highlight the need for treatment interventions that address social and interpersonal functioning in addition to symptoms of depressive disorders.
军事性创伤（MST）包括现役军事服役期间发生的性骚扰和/或性侵犯经历。MST与部署后出现的心理健康、人际关系和身体方面的困难相关，而且在退伍女兵中，相较于包括战斗在内的其他现役经历，它似乎在创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）的发展过程中更具影响力。尽管一些文献表明，经历MST的男性在部署后也存在显著困难，但该领域的研究仍很匮乏。本研究评估了一大群曾在伊拉克和/或阿富汗服役的回国男性退伍军人样本（N = 961）。这些退伍军人被转介到一家大型退伍军人事务部（VA）医院的创伤与焦虑专科诊所接受治疗。在这个样本中，18%（n = 173）报告称曾遭受所在部队成员实施的MST。结果表明，报告称经历过MST的退伍军人更年轻（p = .001），当前已婚的可能性更低（p < .001），被诊断患有情绪障碍的可能性更高（p = .040），并且无论是儿童时期还是成年后，经历非MST性虐待的可能性更高（p < .001）。分析显示，在对其他创伤暴露情况和当前社会支持进行统计学控制后，MST与部署后的社会支持呈负相关（p < .001），与部署后感知到的情感虐待呈正相关（p = .004），但与部署后浪漫关系的丧失（p = .264）、失业（p = .351）或未就业（p = .741）无关。研究结果反映了MST对男性退伍军人的有害影响，以及该领域开展更多研究的必要性。这些发现还凸显了除了抑郁症症状外，还需要针对社会和人际关系功能进行治疗干预。
