Posttraumatic stress disorder and responses to couple conflict: Implications for cardiovascular risk.

Abstract

This was the first investigation to document emotional and cardiovascular responses to couple conflict in veterans with PTSD and their partners. PTSD was associated with greater frequency and severity of couple conflict, and greater anger and cardiovascular reactivity to conflict discussions. Anger and physiological responses to couple discord might contribute to CHD risk in veterans with PTSD, and perhaps their partners, as well.

Battling on the Home Front: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Conflict Behavior Among Military Couples

“…Service members with PTSD scored in the clinical range (Antony et al, 1998) on both depression ( M = 18.39, SD = 10.59) and anxiety ( M = 13.71, SD = 6.66) symptoms, although service members from the control group (depression M = .78, SD = 1.36; anxiety M = .81, SD = .86), partners of PTSD service members (depression M = 8.89, SD = 10.07; anxiety M = 5.09, SD = 7.05), and partners from the control group (depression M = 1.59, SD = 2.38; anxiety M = 1.50, SD = 2.08) all scored within the normal range. However, as previously reported by Caska et al (2014), in this sample both service members with PTSD and their partners endorsed higher levels of depression and anxiety symptoms than members of the control group.…”

“…This study was conducted as part of a larger investigation of PTSD and the emotional and cardiovascular responses to conflict among military couples (see Caska et al, 2014). Couples were recruited from the Salt Lake City VA Medical Center (VAMC), post-deployment workshops, and state-sponsored programs for service members and their families.…”

“…PTSD in service members has been linked to a variety of psychological and physical problems, including aggression, alcohol use problems, and heightened physiological stress responses (Taft et al, 2007). Spouses of service members with PTSD also suffer from elevated levels of distress, including symptoms of anxiety and depression, caregiving burden, and increased physiological reactivity to couple conflict (Caska & Renshaw, 2011; Caska et al, 2014; Lambert, Engh, Hasbun, & Holzer, 2012). …”

Repressed anger mediates associations between sexual minority stressors and negative psychological outcomes in gay men and lesbian women

“…For example, one possible causal sequence could be that social stressors increase repressed anger, which increases blood pressure and tissue inflammation (Boylan & Ryff, 2013;Caska et al, 2014;Quartana & Burns, 2010;Quinn et al, 2014;Richter et al, 2011;Sanchez-Gonzalez, May, Koutnik, & Fincham, in press;Shivpuri et al, 2011), which could produce bodily symptoms that increase health concerns in the individual. Alternatively, another causal sequence could be that pre-existing health concerns increase perceived vulnerability to harassment or perceived need to conceal sexual orientation, which could increase repressed and angry ruminations about such social injustice.…”

Relationship education for military couples: the development and randomised controlled trial of Couple CARE in Uniform

“…Several studies have shown that military personnel suffering from trauma symptoms have less satisfied couple relationships (Erbes, 2011), and report more relationship problems Sayers, Farrow, Ross, & Oslin, 2009 Trauma symptoms are associated with self-reports of more negative couple communication, specifically greater conflict and less warmth (Caska et al, 2014). Miller and colleagues (2013) were the first to look at the impact of PTSD symptoms on observed couple communication.…”