A Life-span Perspective on Combat Exposure and PTSD Symptoms in Later Life: Findings From the VA Normative Aging Study

The Gerontologist
Sungrok KangA Spiro

Abstract

We tested a life-span model of combat exposure on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in later life, examining the direct and indirect effects of prewar, warzone, and postwar factors. The sample included 947 male World War II and Korean War veterans from the VA Normative Aging Study (Mage = 65, SD = 7). They completed mail surveys on childhood family environment, military service and postwar experience, stressful life events, and PTSD symptoms (response rates > 80%). We constructed an initial path model testing cumulative advantage and disadvantage pathways. Although all hypothesized relationships were significant, the model was not a good fit to the data. Subsequent models showed that all three life-span periods had both direct and indirect effects on PTSD symptoms and that there were interesting cross-links between the two sets of pathways. The life-span perspective provides a useful heuristic to model various developmental effects on later-life outcomes. A supportive childhood family environment can have lifelong protective effects, whereas a conflictual one can set up lifelong patterns of pessimistic appraisals.

References

Apr 1, 1995·The American Journal of Psychiatry·K A LeeG H Elder
Jul 1, 1996·The Journals of Gerontology. Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences·C M AldwinA Spiro
Jan 6, 2001·Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences·Z Vuksić-MihaljevićS Mihaljević
Nov 14, 2003·The Journals of Gerontology. Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences·Dale Dannefer
Mar 1, 2007·The Gerontologist·Peter G Coleman, Andrei Podolskij
Mar 9, 2007·Journal of Traumatic Stress·Dawne S Vogt, Lynlee R Tanner
Apr 25, 2007·Aging & Mental Health·Lynda A KingAvron Spiro
Aug 25, 2007·Annual Review of Clinical Psychology·Shelley E Taylor, Annette L Stanton
Jul 26, 2008·Annual Review of Psychology·John W Graham
Feb 2, 2011·Journal of Occupational Health Psychology·Amiram D VinokurSandro Galea
May 30, 2013·Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology·Geert E SmidEric Vermetten
Jun 3, 2015·The Gerontologist·Norm O'RourkeHagit Peres

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Jan 16, 2016·The Gerontologist·Rachel Pruchno
May 24, 2018·Aging & Mental Health·Christopher B BradyLynda King
Oct 13, 2017·Journal of Traumatic Stress·Michael D NevarezRobert J Waldinger
Sep 9, 2018·Current Psychiatry Reports·Joan M Cook, Vanessa Simiola
Jan 24, 2020·Clinical Gerontologist·Michele J KarelMarsden H McGuire
Jul 1, 2020·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health·Samantha M StevensCarol E Franz
Feb 6, 2020·Frontiers in Psychiatry·Boris DrožđekAgnes Moyene-Jansen
Oct 9, 2021·Journal of Health and Social Behavior·Miles O KovnickKim Korinek

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Anxiety Disorders

Discover the latest research on anxiety disorders including agoraphobia, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder here.