One Day at a Time: The Experiences of Partners of Veterans With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Abstract: The intimate partners of veterans living with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often have few opportunities to articulate in their own words how the disorder affects them and their families. Besides relationship challenges and stress associated with assuming a caregiver role, partners may endure their own psychological distress. These occurrences may be overlooked when treating PTSD, as the focus is usually on the veteran and from the veteran’s perspective. Engaging significant others and understanding their perspective is paramount to both the veteran’s recovery and the well-being of the couple. We mailed surveys to partners of veterans with PTSD as part of a larger study that assessed PTSD-related knowledge, beliefs, treatment involvement, and quality of life. At the end of the survey was an optional free-text section inviting partners to share any other information related to their circumstances. Of all survey respondents, over half (n = 252) provided comments. We used this opportunity to explore these partners’ experiences of living with a veteran diagnosed with PTSD. Using a thematic analysis framework, independent raters coded comments relating to relationships, partner/family reactions, protective factors, mental health services, reactions to study participation, and general remarks. Findings highlighted the myriad ways in which PTSD impacts both partners and families, strategies partners use to cope, and specific mental health services they believe would be most beneficial. Responses suggested a continued need to include partner perspectives in future work, and to provide mental health services targeted to partners of veterans with PTSD
Abstract: U.S. Air Force remotely piloted aircraft (USAF RPA) personnel face diverse stressors negatively affecting psychological health and military readiness. Prior research in diverse populations supports predictable impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on occupational stressors, burnout, and more distal outcomes. Extending earlier studies linking broad variables (e.g., COVID-19 threat → work stress → burnout), the current study tests and refines an expanded mediation model based on multiple distinct pandemic concerns, occupational stressors, and burnout facets as antecedents of psychological distress mid-pandemic in RPA personnel (N = 496). Differential representation of demands, resources, and rewards evident across distinct occupational stressors in light of job demands/resources theory guided specification of mediated pathways. SEM analysis yielded moderate fit. Following removal of non-significant paths and addition of two interpretable direct paths, fit was improved, yielding seven dominant pandemic concern → occupational stressor → burnout → psychological distress pathways. In support of domain specification, five 'hub' variables (pandemic-driven change, personal stressors, workload, leader communication, and exhaustion) emerged as key intervention targets in mitigating distress in the USAF RPA community and similar populations during future pandemic-related crises.