Title
Measuring Secondary Traumatic Stress Symptoms in Military Spouses With the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist Military Version
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
12-2014
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.
Publication Title
The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease
Volume
202
Issue
12
First Page
864
Last Page
869
DOI of Published Version
10.1097/NMD.0000000000000213
Recommended Citation
Bjornestad, Andrea; Schweinle, Amy; and Elhai, Jon, "Measuring Secondary Traumatic Stress Symptoms in Military Spouses With the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist Military Version" (2014). Counseling and Human Development Faculty Publications. 21.
https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/chd_pubs/21