Deficits in Inhibitory Control May Place Service Members at Risk for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Negative Parenting Behavior Following Deployment‐Related Trauma

Abstract

This study examined the mediating role of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in the association between deployment-related trauma exposure and parenting behaviors in reserve-component military service members and whether this association was contingent upon parent inhibitory control (IC). Participants were 181 postdeployed fathers and their children. Fathers completed a neurospychological test of IC and self-report measures of trauma exposure and PTSD symptoms. Measures of parenting behaviors (positive engagement and reactivity coercion) were obtained from direct observation of father–child interaction. Results demonstrated that (a) fathers’ PTSD symptoms indirectly mediated the effect of trauma exposure on both measures of parenting (i.e., negative indirect effect for positive engagement, point estimate = −.0045, 95% CI [−.0107, −.0003], and positive indirect effect for reactivity coercion, point estimate = .0061, 95% CI [.0007, .0146]); (b) fathers’ IC skills moderated the association between trauma exposure and PTSD, β = .14, p = .043, such that the association was positive and significant for fathers with high and medium IC but nonsignificant for fathers with low IC; and (c) the indirect effect of trauma exposure on both parenting measures through PTSD was dependent upon IC, point estimate = .0341, 95% CI [.0005, .0687]. These findings indicate that fathers with low IC skills tended to have higher rates of PTSD symptoms and related negative parenting behaviors, even for individuals with relatively low degrees of deployment-related trauma exposure. Results highlight the importance of IC as a potential moderating factor in the association between trauma exposure, PTSD, and parenting.

Predeployment neurocognitive functioning predicts postdeployment posttraumatic stress in Army personnel.

“…posttraumatic stress. Prior cross-sectional studies of PTSD have documented performance deficits in the areas of inhibitory control (Falconer et al, 2008;Leskin & White, 2007;Monn, Zhang, & Gewirtz, 2018;Olff, Polak, Witteveen, & Denys, 2014;Wu et al, 2010;Vasterling, Brailey, Constans, & Sutker, 1998) and sustained attention (Shucard, McCabe, & Szymanski, 2008;Vasterling et al, 1998Vasterling et al, , 2002Wu et al, 2010), but this is the first study to document these functions in prospective research as potential pretrauma vulnerability factors. With prior cross-sectional research, it has been unclear if inhibition and attention problems are a product of PTSD symptoms, that is, that heightened arousal and reexperiencing symptoms create distractors when attempting to concentrate, affecting sustained attention and inhibitory control (Aupperle et al, 2012).…”

Addressing parent–child functioning problems in veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder: Veterans affairs provider practices and perspectives.

“…In addition, a strong body of accumulating evidence from both civilian and military samples suggests a unique association between parental PTSD and child mental health symptoms, parent-child relationship difficulties, and increased risk for parentchild aggression (Lambert, Holzer, & Hasbun, 2014;Leen-Feldner, Feldner, Bunaciu, & Blumenthal, 2011;Leen-Feldner et al, 2013). Similarly, studies have found that parents experiencing problems with depression or emotion regulation, a possible effect of trauma symptomology, may have more difficulties with parentchild relationships (e.g., emotional distance; Brockman et al, 2016;Muzik et al, 2017;Sherman et al, 2016) and report greater child psychological/behavioral problems (Boric ˇević Maršanić, Aukst Margetić, Jukić, Matko, & Grgić, 2014;C ´orić, Klaric, Petrov, & Mihic, 2016;Gómez-Ortiz, Romera, & Ortega-Ruiz, 2016;Leen-Feldner et al, 2011;Monn, Zhang, & Gewirtz, 2018). Qualitative research documenting veteran perspectives on parenting with PTSD has indicated many have a desire for parenting classes to be available at VA (Sherman, Larsen, Straits-Troster, Erbes, & Tassey, 2015).…”

Inhibitory Control Moderates the Intervention Effects of a Preventive Parenting Program on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms Among Male Service Members

“…Indeed, fathers’ inhibitory control was not significantly associated with their attendance at the intervention sessions in the present study. Although service members with low inhibitory control tend to have higher rates of PTSD symptoms (Monn et al., 2018), the present findings suggest that individuals with higher risk levels may benefit more from a parenting intervention in terms of PTSD symptom reduction.…”

“…In an earlier study of fathers drawn from the same sample as the current study, Monn et al. (2018) found that service members with poor inhibitory control skills were more likely to exhibit PTSD symptoms regardless of their degree of combat‐related trauma exposure, whereas individuals with average or above‐average inhibitory control only reported PTSD symptoms if they were exposed to high degrees of trauma. This finding is consistent with the assertions of Aupperle et al.…”