https://aub.ie/MilitaryREACH-Zhangetal2021

Zhang, J., Buchanan, G. J. R., Monn, A. R., & Gewirtz, A. H. (2022). Inhibitory control moderates the intervention effects of a preventive parenting program on posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms among male service members. Journal of Traumatic Stress. 35(1), 235-245. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.22724

This study examined whether fathers’ inhibitory control (i.e., ability to regulate impulses) played a role in the benefits they gained from the After Deployment, Adaptive Parenting Tools (ADAPT) program, specifically their posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. National Guard and Reserve Service member fathers returning from deployment were randomly assigned to the control group (n = 108) or ADAPT intervention group (n = 174). For this study, data from two time points were analyzed (baseline and 1-year follow-up). The ADAPT program may be most beneficial for fathers with lower inhibitory control than those with higher inhibitory control.

https://doi.org.10.1002/jts.22724

Deployment
Mental health
Parents
Physical health
Programming
Trauma

Air Force
Army
Navy
Multiple branches

Guard
Reserve

Guard/Reserve member
Military families

Adulthood (18 yrs & older)
Young adulthood (18 - 29 yrs)
Thirties (30 - 39 yrs)
Middle age (40 - 64 yrs)

Longitudinal Study
Quantitative Study
Secondary Analysis

Zhang, Jingchen, Buchanan, Gretchen J. R., Monn, Amy R., Gewirtz, Abigail H.

Military servicemembers face substantial challenges due to war-related trauma exposure, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Individuals with deficits in inhibitory control (IC) may have an increased risk of developing PTSD due to a reduced ability to regulate their cognitive responses to and disengage from trauma-related stimuli. After Deployment, Adaptive Parenting Tools (ADAPT) is a mindfulness-infused parenting program for military families that has also been found to have crossover effects on parental mental health. The present study examined whether fathers’ IC at baseline affected their response to this emotional skills–focused intervention and further influenced their PTSD symptoms 1 year later. The sample included 282 male National Guard and Reserve (NG/R) service members who had recently been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan. Fathers were randomly assigned to either the ADAPT program or a control condition, with IC measured at baseline and PTSD symptoms measured at baseline and 1-year follow-up. Intent-to-treat analyses revealed no significant main effect of the intervention on fathers’ PTSD symptoms. However, fathers’ IC moderated intervention effects on PTSD symptoms, f2 = 0.03. The intervention had more beneficial effects on reducing fathers’ PTSD symptoms for participants with low IC at baseline. These findings are consistent with compensatory effects in the risk moderation hypothesis, which suggests that prevention or intervention programs are more effective for high-risk subgroups.

John Wiley & Sons

Article
REACH Publication

Department of Family Social Science, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, JZ
Department of Family Social Science, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, GJRB
Green Hills Family Psych, ARM
Department of Family Social Science and Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, AHG