Abstract

Objective:

War-related trauma may indirectly affect veterans’ spouses both in terms of secondary posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and negative perceived health. The present study aimed to examine trajectories of secondary PTSS over a twelve-year period and its association with various measures of subjectively perceived health, among spouses of war veterans.

Methods:

Spouses of war veterans (n = 155) were assessed prospectively 30 (T1, 2003), 37 (T2, 2010), and 42 (T3, 2015) years after the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Participants completed self-report questionnaires of PTSS (PTSD inventory) in all three measurement waves, while perceived health measures (Short-Form Health Survey-SF-36) were assessed only at T3.

Results:

Most spouses were classified to the ‘resilient’ trajectory with low and stable secondary PTSS over time, followed by recovered, chronic, and delayed onset PTSS trajectories. Importantly, spouses in the ‘chronic’ and ‘delayed’ secondary PTSS trajectories reported a higher severity of general negative subjective health perceptions and health-related social malfunctioning.

Conclusion:

Veterans’ spouses who were grouped in the ‘chronic’ and ‘delayed’ PTSS trajectories are to be considered as at-risk populations for both PTSS and negative perceived health perceptions. Mental health professionals as well as family physicians should be aware of the ongoing nature of secondary PTSS which might negatively affect veterans’ spouses medical conditions and ability to cope with the aging process.

中文翻译：

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退伍军人配偶的继发性创伤后压力症状轨迹和健康感知：一项为期 12 年的纵向研究

摘要

客观的：

与战争有关的创伤可能会在继发性创伤后应激症状 (PTSS) 和负面健康感知方面间接影响退伍军人的配偶。本研究旨在检查退伍军人配偶在十二年期间的继发性 PTSS 轨迹及其与各种主观感知健康指标的关联。

方法：

在 1973 年赎罪日战争后的 30 年（T1，2003 年）、37 年（T2，2010 年）和 42 年（T3，2015 年）对退伍军人的配偶（n = 155）进行了前瞻性评估。参与者在所有三个测量波中完成了 PTSS（PTSD 清单）的自我报告问卷，而仅在 T3 评估感知健康措施（简短健康调查-SF-36）。

结果：

随着时间的推移，大多数配偶被归类为具有较低且稳定的继发性 PTSS 的“弹性”轨迹，其次是恢复的、慢性的和延迟发作的 PTSS 轨迹。重要的是，处于“慢性”和“延迟”次要 PTSS 轨迹中的配偶报告了更严重的一般消极主观健康认知和与健康相关的社会功能障碍。

结论：

被归入“慢性”和“延迟”PTSS 轨迹的退伍军人配偶被视为 PTSS 和负面健康感知的高危人群。精神卫生专业人员和家庭医生应该意识到继发性 PTSS 的持续性质，这可能会对退伍军人配偶的医疗状况和应对衰老过程的能力产生负面影响。