Kimbrel Nathan A, Blakey Shannon M, Miller David R, Patel Tapan A, Mann Adam J D, Pugh Mary Jo, Beckham Jean C, Calhoun Patrick S
Durham Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Durham, NC.
VA Health Services Research and Development Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation, Durham, NC.
Mil Psychol. 2025;37(4):366-374. doi: 10.1080/08995605.2024.2357993. Epub 2024 Jun 7.
Prior research has established the psychometric properties of the Critical Warzone Experiences (CWE) scale among post-9/11 Iraq/Afghanistan-era veterans; however, the psychometric properties of the CWE among Gulf War I-era veterans have not yet been established. The first objective of the present study was to examine the psychometric properties of the CWE among Gulf War I-era veterans. The second objective was to test the hypothesis that the CWE would have a significant indirect effect on suicidal thoughts and behaviors posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depressive symptoms. To test these hypotheses, a survey packet that included the CWE and measures of PTSD symptoms, depressive symptoms, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors was administered to 1,153 Gulf War I-era veterans. Consistent with prior research in post-9/11 Iraq/Afghanistan-era veterans, the CWE exhibited good internal consistency (α = .85), a unidimensional factor structure (RMSEA = .056, CFI = .959, SRMR = .033; average factor loading = .69), and good concurrent validity with PTSD ( = .47, < .001) and depressive ( = .31, < .001) symptoms among Gulf War I-era veterans. Additionally, as hypothesized, a significant indirect effect from the CWE to suicidal thoughts and behaviors via PTSD and depressive symptoms (β = .35, < .001) was also observed. Taken together, our findings provide strong support for using the CWE with Gulf War I-era veterans.
先前的研究已经确定了“关键战区经历”(CWE)量表在9·11事件后伊拉克/阿富汗战争时期退伍军人中的心理测量特性;然而,第一次海湾战争时期退伍军人中CWE的心理测量特性尚未确定。本研究的第一个目标是检验第一次海湾战争时期退伍军人中CWE的心理测量特性。第二个目标是检验这样一个假设,即CWE会通过创伤后应激障碍(PTSD)和抑郁症状对自杀念头和行为产生显著的间接影响。为了检验这些假设,向1153名第一次海湾战争时期的退伍军人发放了一个包含CWE以及PTSD症状、抑郁症状和自杀念头及行为测量的调查问卷包。与先前对9·11事件后伊拉克/阿富汗战争时期退伍军人的研究一致,CWE在第一次海湾战争时期退伍军人中表现出良好的内部一致性(α = 0.85)、单维因素结构(RMSEA = 0.056,CFI = 0.959,SRMR = 0.033;平均因素负荷 = 0.69),并且与PTSD(r = 0.47,p < 0.001)和抑郁(r = 0.31,p < 0.001)症状具有良好的同时效度。此外,正如所假设的,还观察到从CWE通过PTSD和抑郁症状到自杀念头和行为的显著间接影响(β = 0.35,p < 0.001)。综上所述,我们的研究结果为在第一次海湾战争时期退伍军人中使用CWE提供了有力支持。