Identifying psychological outcomes in families of Five Eyes alliance armed forces Veterans: A systematic review
Abstract: Military service can affect the psychological health and well-being of ex-service members and their families. Most research prioritizes active duty families or Veterans, with spouses/intimate partners and adult children of Veterans often overlooked. This study reviewed all previous research on the psychological health of Veteran families within the Five Eyes alliance countries of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It found spouses/intimate partners had higher rates of anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compared to national rates and were more likely to feel distress when their Veteran partner had mental health issues. Adult children were at higher risk for anxiety, depression, alcohol/substance misuse, and PTSD compared to national rates. Four themes identified were: personal feelings and internal emotions, Veteran-oriented, help and support, and acting as a unit. Due to the scarce available research, further studies are needed to address psychological outcomes among military Veteran families.
Abstract: Objective: The present study is a retrospective quasi-experimental study to evaluate the effectiveness of the Warrior PATHH (WP) program at improving posttraumatic growth (PTG) outcomes and reducing PTSD symptoms compared to a waitlist control among a sample of Veterans. Method: Participants (n = 164) were U.S. military Veterans with a history of trauma. Participants were either undergoing the Warrior PATHH program or a waitlist. Primary outcome measures were administered at baseline and at 90-day follow-up and consisted of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory – Expanded (PTGI-X) and the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). Secondary outcome measures assessed psychosocial functioning and included measures of depression and anxiety symptoms, sleep, wellbeing, and social support. Results: Significant differences were observed between groups on the PTGI-X (F(1, 205) = 23.667, p < .001, partial η2 = 0.103), and the PCL-5 (F(1, 205) = 262.460, p < .001, partial η2 = 0.561) with the WP group showing significant positive psychological change following a traumatic event as measured by the PTGI-X and decreased PTSD symptoms as measured by the PCL-5 compared to those in the waitlist condition. Those in the treatment arm also demonstrated gains to psychosocial functioning. Conclusions: Consistent with previous research, participants in the Warrior PATHH program exhibited significant increases in PTG outcomes, decreased PTSD symptoms, and broad improvements to psychosocial functioning. These findings suggest it is an effective training program to foster PTG outcomes among Veterans. This study is unique as it is the first to compare the effects of WP programming with a sample of waitlisted Veterans.