Relationship among combat experience, Veteran pathology, and pathology of Veterans’ intimate partners: Factors predicting the pathology of Veterans and their intimate partners
Abstract: For nearly 20 years, military members and their families have been involved in some form of military operation in support of what is known as the Global War on Terrorism. Research has shown that military members and Veterans demonstrate increased levels of mental health disorders, such as anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder. No studies to date, however, have explored how the resulting mental illness is shared by the intimate partners of these military members and Veterans. For this research, the term “resonating of pathology” is used to identify this phenomenon. The research authors surveyed combat Veterans and their intimate partners to gather the data for analysis. The authors then completed statistical analysis to examine both associations and predictive factors that would help clinicians, researchers, and academics understand and develop theories and clinical interventions for such couples. Although the research appears to confirm this sharing of mental health diagnosis, more research will be needed to create a better understanding in the future.
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.