Can military trauma promote psychological growth in combat veterans? Results from the national health and resilience in veterans study.

BACKGROUND

Military combat trauma is often associated with negative outcomes, including high rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Less is known, however, about whether military combat trauma may foster posttraumatic growth (PTG), which has been observed in relation to other trauma types, in representative samples of veterans.

METHODS

We analyzed data from veterans who participated in the National Health and Resilience in veterans Study who reported a military-related trauma (n = 210). Participants completed measures of trauma history, combat exposure, PTSD symptoms, PTG, functioning, and quality of life (QOL). Bivariate correlations, regression analyses, analyses of covariance, and fit of linear and quadratic functions were used to examine relationships between PTSD symptom clusters, PTG and its subdomains, and functioning.

RESULTS

Number of deployments (β=0.23) and lifetime PTSD symptom severity (β=0.19), particularly re-experiencing symptoms (β=0.37), were independently associated with greater PTG. An inverted-U-shaped quadratic function provided the best fit for the relationship between PTSD symptoms and PTG (R =0.22). Greater PTG was associated with greater mental functioning (β=0.15) and QOL (β=0.24).

LIMITATIONS

The inability to make casual inferences in this cross-sectional study; possible bias related to self-report measures; and the lengthy time period between index trauma and assessment of PTSD and PTG.

CONCLUSIONS

PTG is relatively common among combat veterans, particularly among those with PTSD, and is associated with better mental functioning and QOL. Positive psychology interventions to bolster PTG may help promote functional outcomes in this population.