Relationship of service members' deployment trauma, PTSD symptoms, and experiential avoidance to postdeployment family reengagement

No Thumbnail Available
Authors
Brockman, Callie J.
Snyder, James J.
Gewirtz, Abigail
Gird, Suzanne R.
Quattlebaum, Jamie
Schmidt, Nicole
Pauldine, Michael R.
Elish, Katie
Schrepferman, Lynn M.
Hayes, Charles A.
Advisors
Issue Date
2016-02
Type
Article
Keywords
Military deployment , Experiential avoidance , Trauma , PTSD , Family interaction
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Citation
Brockman, Callie; Snyder, James; Gewirtz, Abigail; Gird, Suzanne R.; Quattlebaum, Jamie; Schmidt, Nicole; Pauldine, Michael R.; Elish, Katie; Schrepferman, Lynn; Hayes, Charles; Zettle, Robert; DeGarmo, David. 2016. Relationship of service members’ deployment trauma, PTSD symptoms, and experiential avoidance to postdeployment family reengagement. Journal of Family Psychology, Vol 30(1), Feb 2016, 52-62
Abstract

This research examined whether military service members' deployment-related trauma exposure, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and experiential avoidance are associated with their observed levels of positive social engagement, social withdrawal, reactivity-coercion, and distress avoidance during postdeployment family interaction. Self reports of deployment related trauma, postdeployment PTSD symptoms, and experiential avoidance were collected from 184 men who were deployed to the Middle East conflicts, were partnered, and had a child between 4 and 13 years of age. Video samples of parent-child and partner problem solving and conversations about deployment issues were collected, and were rated by trained observers to assess service members' positive engagement, social withdrawal, reactivity-coercion, and distress avoidance, as well as spouse and child negative affect and behavior. Service members' experiential avoidance was reliably associated with less observed positive engagement and more observed withdrawal and distress avoidance after controlling for spouse and child negative affect and behavior during ongoing interaction. Service members' experiential avoidance also diminished significant associations between service members' PTSD symptoms and their observed behavior. The results are discussed in terms of how service members' psychological acceptance promotes family resilience and adaption to the multiple contextual challenges and role transitions associated with military deployment. Implications for parenting and marital interventions are described.

Table of Contents
Description
Click on the DOI link to access the article (may not be free).
Publisher
American Psychological Association
Journal
Book Title
Series
Journal of Family Psychology;v.30:no.1
PubMed ID
DOI
ISSN
0893-3200
EISSN