MacDonald Helen Z, Franz Molly R, Kaiser Anica Pless, Lee Lewina O, Lawrence Amy E, Fairbank John A, Vasterling Jennifer J
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Emmanuel College, Boston, MA, USA.
Psychology Service, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA.
Mil Behav Health. 2023;11(4):236-243. doi: 10.1080/21635781.2023.2246894. Epub 2023 Aug 25.
Warzone deployment increases risk for posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms (PTSS), including among service members who have children. Parental PTSS are associated with child depression, anxiety, hyperactivity, and conduct problems, yet few studies of child behavioral health outcomes in military populations have accounted for PTSS in both warzone veterans and their partners. Fewer still incorporate non-clinically-recruited samples of nationally dispersed warzone veterans and their families. The current research examines whether children whose parent(s) have higher levels of PTSS exhibit more behavioral health symptoms. One hundred and thirty-three Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans and their cohabitating partners completed clinical interviews and self-report questionnaires. Higher intimate partner PTSS, more extensive child exposure to stressful life events, and being an adolescent were significantly associated with child depression after adjusting for warzone veteran PTSS, demographics, and recent warzone veteran absence from the household. Greater child exposure to stressful life events was also associated with child conduct problems. Treatment of PTSD symptoms experienced by warzone veterans' intimate partners, and preventative interventions aimed at helping the children of warzone veterans cope with stress, may ultimately yield positive benefits for the behavioral health of children in military families.
战区部署会增加患创伤后应激障碍症状（PTSS）的风险，包括有孩子的军人。父母的PTSS与孩子的抑郁、焦虑、多动和行为问题有关，但很少有关于军事人群中儿童行为健康结果的研究考虑到战区退伍军人及其伴侣的PTSS。更少的研究纳入了全国分散的战区退伍军人及其家庭的非临床招募样本。当前的研究调查了父母患有较高水平PTSS的孩子是否表现出更多的行为健康症状。133名伊拉克和阿富汗战争退伍军人及其同居伴侣完成了临床访谈和自我报告问卷。在调整了战区退伍军人的PTSS、人口统计学特征以及近期战区退伍军人离家情况后，亲密伴侣较高的PTSS、孩子更多地暴露于压力生活事件以及孩子处于青春期与孩子的抑郁显著相关。孩子更多地暴露于压力生活事件也与孩子的行为问题有关。对战区退伍军人亲密伴侣经历的创伤后应激障碍症状进行治疗，以及旨在帮助战区退伍军人的孩子应对压力的预防性干预措施，最终可能会对军人家庭中孩子的行为健康产生积极影响。
