Deployment-related differences in posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and benefit finding in the Army National Guard

Abstract

Research has shown that military members experience PTSD at higher rates than their civilian counterparts, but evidence is also accumulating that military personnel deal with adverse events, including deployment, and experience positive outcomes such as benefit finding and posttraumatic growth. The goal of the current paper was to explore the differences in posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, benefit finding, and quality of life by deployment history in a sample of Army National Guard service members. We found that those who had experienced a combat deployment reported higher numbers of stress reactions, including PTSD symptoms, and more issues related to quality of life. Soldiers who had experienced a combat deployment were also more likely to report benefit finding from their military experience. We also examined the impact of both benefit finding and PTSD symptoms on overall quality of life simultaneously and found that both constructs act on quality of life in opposing directions.

(PDF) Deployment-Related Differences in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms and Benefit Finding in the Army National Guard. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325604236_Deployment-Related_Differences_in_Posttraumatic_Stress_Disorder_Symptoms_and_Benefit_Finding_in_the_Army_National_Guard [accessed Jun 20 2018].