https://aub.ie/MilitaryREACH-HarperEtAl2022

Harper, K. L., Vogt, D., Fox, A., Nillni, Y. I., & Galovski, T. (2023). The role of PTSD symptom severity and relationship functioning in male and female veterans’ mental health service use. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 15(4), 690-696. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0001369

For some Veterans, symptoms associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), like emotional numbing, can affect their romantic relationships negatively. In turn, difficulties in close relationships may prompt people to seek mental health treatment. In this longitudinal study, 1,200 men and women Veterans reported on their PTSD symptom severity at baseline (T1), their intimate relationship functioning 4 months later (T2), and whether they used mental health services (e.g., medication, therapy) between T2 and a further 4 months later (T3). Results from a multiple-groups path analysis demonstrated that, overall, the quality of intimate relationship functioning partially explained the link between PTSD symptoms and the likelihood of using mental health services among men – but not among women.

https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0001369

Couples
Veterans
Mental health

Multiple branches

Veteran

Veteran

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

Quantitative Study

Harper, Kelly L., Vogt, Dawne, Fox, Annie, Nillni, Yael I., Galovski, Tara

Objective: Previous research has shown that difficulties in intimate relationships promote mental health treatment seeking for male veterans, but findings for female veterans have been mixed. The current study sought to further evaluate whether intimate relationship functioning is a motivator for mental health treatment seeking for male and female veterans and examine the impact of different types of trauma exposure on this association. Method: Using data from a longitudinal study, we examined whether intimate relationship functioning mediated the association between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity and mental health service use (0 = no mental health services, 1 = any mental health services) in male and female veterans (N = 1,200). We used multiple groups path analysis to examine whether intimate relationship functioning mediated the association between PTSD symptom severity and mental health service use for male and female veterans. Results: For male veterans, greater PTSD symptom severity was related to poorer intimate relationship functioning, which in turn explained increased likelihood of mental health service use (R² = .18). This mediation effect was not significant for female veterans. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that targeting intimate relationship functioning in treatment for male veterans may be beneficial because difficulties in these relationships appear to be a motivating factor for treatment seeking.

American Psychological Association

Article
REACH Publication

Behavioral Science Division, National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, KLH
Women’s Health Sciences Division, National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, DV
Women’s Health Sciences Division, National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, AF
Women’s Health Sciences Division, National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, YIN
Women’s Health Sciences Division, National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, TG
MGH Institute of Health Professionals, DV
MGH Institute of Health Professionals, AF
Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, YIN
Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, TG