Numerous factors have been identified that may place a person at risk for PTSD after experiencing a traumatic event. Some of these factors include poor social support, poor coping skills, family history of psychological problems, previous exposure to other traumatic events, and pre-existing psychological problems. However, even if a person has "PTSD vulnerability," he may never encounter a traumatic event, and therefore, will not develop PTSD.
However, certain groups of people with these vulnerability factors may be at risk for traumatic exposure and the development of PTSD. Specifically, military service members deployed to a war zone will almost inevitably encounter some kind of traumatic event. For example, it has been found that the majority of service members in Iraq or Afghanistan have witnessed or experienced some kind of traumatic event.
PTSD and the Iraq War
High rates of PTSD have been found among returning Iraq War veterans. High rates of other psychological problems such as alcohol abuse and depression, have also been found. Therefore, mental health professionals have recognized that it is important to identify which service members may be at risk for developing PTSD following deployment to a war zone, as well as figure out what factors may protect a person from developing PTSD, even in the face of extreme stress.
PTSD Vulnerability in Pre-Deployed Service Members
Researchers at several veterans' hospitals across the country looked at rates of PTSD and the experience of prior stressful life events among a large group of U.S. Army soldiers who had yet to be deployed. They wanted to figure out how many people may have experienced past stressful life events or had PTSD, both of which could put them at risk for psychological problems after their deployment.
They found that even before deployment, 10% of the soldiers already had a diagnosis of PTSD. This means that a substantial group of soldiers were already exhibiting some psychological difficulties, and therefore, were at extremely high risk for the development of other psychological difficulties following deployment.
What May Help Those At Risk?
The level of connection, trust, and support service members had with other members of their unit (or "unit cohesion") reduced the likelihood of having PTSD. In particular, the experience of a previous stressful event was less likely to lead to the development of PTSD among people who had a strong connection with and trust in their military unit. People with more unit cohesion also had less severe PTSD symptoms. These findings suggest that unit cohesion may decrease vulnerability for psychological problems among those at high risk.
Knowing If You Are At Risk
It is important to know whether or not you may be at risk for developing PTSD following exposure to a traumatic event. People can do many things to strengthen their "psychological immune system." In particular, establishing social support and learning healthy coping skills can play a tremendous role in preventing the development of PTSD after experiencing a traumatic event.
Sources:
Agaibi, C.E., & Wilson, J.P. (2005). Trauma, PTSD, and resilience: A review of the literature. Trauma, Violence, and Abuse, 6, 195-216.
Brailey, K., Vasterling, J.J., Proctor, S.P., Constans, J.I., & Friedman, M.J. (2007). PTSD symptoms, life events, and unit cohesion in U.S. soldiers: Baseline findings from the Neurocognition Deployment Health Study. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 20, 495-503.
Erbes, C., Westermeyer, J., Engdahl, B., & Johnsen, E. (2007). Post-traumatic stress disorder and service utilization in a sample of service members from Iraq and Afghanistan. Military Medicine, 172, 359-363.
Hoge, C.W., Castro, C.A., Messer, S.C., McGurk, D., Cotting, D.I., & Koffman, R.L. (2004). Combat duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, mental health problems, and barriers to care. New England Journal of Medicine, 351, 13-22.
Ozer, E.J., Best, S.R., Lipsey, T.L., & Weiss, D.S. (2003). Predictors of posttraumatic stress disorder and symptoms in adults: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 129, 52-73.
