The role of PTSD symptom severity and relationship functioning in male and female veterans’ mental health service use
- 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.
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