Measuring secondary traumatic stress symptoms in military spouses with the posttraumatic stress disorder checklist military version

J Nerv Ment Dis. 2014 Dec;202(12):864-9. doi: 10.1097/NMD.0000000000000213.

Abstract

Little research to date has examined secondary traumatic stress symptoms in spouses of military veterans. This study investigated the presence and severity of posttraumatic stress symptoms in a sample of 227 Army National Guard veterans and secondary traumatic stress symptoms among their spouses. The veterans completed the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Checklist Military Version (PCL-M) (Weathers et al., 1993) to determine the probable prevalence rate of posttraumatic stress symptoms. A modified version of the PCL-M was used to assess secondary traumatic stress symptoms in the spouses. A confirmatory factor analysis showed that the modified version of the PCL-M used to assess secondary traumatic stress symptoms in spouses fits using the same four-factor PTSD structure as the PCL-M for veterans. This study provides initial evidence on the underlying symptom structure of secondary traumatic stress symptoms among spouses of traumatic event victims.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Checklist / statistics & numerical data
  • Factor Analysis, Statistical
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
  • Spouses / psychology*
  • Spouses / statistics & numerical data
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / diagnosis
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / epidemiology
  • Stress Disorders, Traumatic / diagnosis*
  • Stress Disorders, Traumatic / epidemiology
  • United States / epidemiology
  • Veterans / statistics & numerical data*