The aim of this article is to present an integrative review of the mental health of veteran partners living with veterans with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Living with a veteran with PTSD affects the psychological well-being and health outcomes of a veteran partner. Fourteen research articles that focused on the mental health of military partners, which directly influence the psychological well-being of veteran partners, were reviewed. Findings indicate that a range of mental health concerns exist among veteran partners living with veterans with PTSD. The mental well-being of veteran partners is affected by the emotional strain of living and caring for veterans with PTSD. For years, the partner’s presence has been overlooked in the PTSD treatment. However, to promote the comprehensive health of veterans with PTSD, it is paramount to understand the mental health state of veteran partners. Understanding the mental health state of veteran partners will provide a broader perspective to the plight of veteran partners.
AhmadiK.Azampoor-AfsharS.KaramiG.MokhtariA. (2011). The association of veteran’s PTSD with secondary trauma stress among veterans’ spouses. Journal of Adjustment, Maltreatment, & Trauma, 20, 636-644.
2.
Al-TurkaitF. A.OhaeriJ. U. (2008). Post-traumatic stress disorder among wives of Kuwaiti veterans of the first Gulf War. Anxiety Disorders, 22, 18-31.
3.
American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Posttraumatic stress disorder. In Desk reference to the diagnostic criteria from DSMN-IV-TR (pp. 218-220). Washington, DC: R. R. Donnelley.
4.
ArmstrongM. A.RoseP. (1997). Group therapy for partners of combat veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, 33(4), 14-18.
BairdK.KracenA. C. (2006). Vicarious traumatization and secondary traumatic stress: A research synthesis. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 19, 181-188.
7.
BeckhamJ. C.LytleB. L.FeldmanM. E. (1996). Caregiver burden in partners of Vietnam veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64, 1068-1072.
8.
BrideB. E.FigleyC. R. (2009). Secondary trauma and military veteran caregivers. Smith College of Studies in Social Work, 79, 314-329.
9.
CalhounP. S.BeckhamJ. C.BosworthH. B. (2002). Caregiver burden and psychological distress in partners of veterans with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 15, 205-212.
10.
Chartier-OtisM.GuayS.MarchandA. (2009). Psychological and relationship distress among partners of civilian PTSD patients. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 197, 543-546.
11.
CollinsR. C.KennedyM. C. (2008). Serving families who have served: Providing family therapy and support in interdisciplinary polytrauma rehabilitation. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 64, 993-1003.
12.
DekelR.GoldblattH.KeidarM.SolomonZ.PolliackM. (2005). Being a wife of a veteran with posttraumatic stress disorder. Family Relations, 54(1), 24-36.
DirkzwagerA. J. E.BramsenI.AdèrH.van der PloegH. M. (2005). Secondary traumatization in partners of Dutch peacekeeping soldiers. Journal of Family Psychology, 19, 217-226.
15.
EvansL.McHughT.HopwoodM.WattC. (2003). Chronic posttraumatic stress disorder and family functioning of Vietnam veterans and their partners. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 37, 765-772.
16.
FinkA. (2005). Reviewing the literature: Why? For whom? How? In ShawL. C.FosterD. S. (Eds.), Conducting research literature reviews: From the internet to paper (p. 3). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
17.
FranciskovićT.StevanovićA.JelusićI.RoganovićB.KlarićM.GrkovićJ. (2007). Secondary traumatization of wives of war veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder. Croatian Medicine Journal, 48, 177-184.
18.
FrederiksonL. G.ChamberlainK.LongN. (1996). Unacknowledged casualties of the Vietnam War: Experiences of partners of New Zealand veterans. Qualitative Health Research, 6, 49-67.
19.
FriedmanM. J. (2006). Posttraumatic stress disorder among military returnees from Afghanistan and Iraq. American Journal of Psychiatry, 163, 586-591.
20.
GanongL. H. (1987). Integrative reviews of nursing research. Research in Nursing & Health, 10, 1-11.
21.
HamiltonS.Nelson GoffB. S.CrowJ. R.ReisbigA. M. J. (2009). Primary trauma of female partners in a military sample: Individual symptoms and relationship satisfaction. American Journal of Family Therapy, 37, 336-346.
22.
HarrisonD. (2006). The role of military culture in military organizations’ responses to woman abuse in military families. Sociological Review, 54, 546-574.
23.
JordanB. K.MarmarC. R.FairbankJ. A.SchlengerW. E.KulkaR. A.HoughR. L.WeissD. S. (1992). Problems in families of male Vietnam veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 60, 916-926.
24.
KlevensJ.KeeR.TrickW.GarciaD.AnguloF. R.JonesR.SadowskiL. S. (2012). Effect of screening for partner violence on women’s quality of life. Journal of the American Medical Association, 308, 681-689.
25.
KlostermannM.MignoneT.KelleyM. L.MussonS.BohallG. (2012). Intimate partner violence in the military: Treatment considerations. Aggression and Violence, 17, 53-58.
26.
KoićE.FranciškovićT.Mužinić-MasleL.ĐorđevićV.VondračekS.PrpićJ. (2002). Chronic pain and secondary traumatization in wives of Croatian War veterans treated for posttraumatic stress disorder. Acta Clinica Croatia, 41, 295-306.
27.
MaloneyL. J. (1988). Post traumatic stresses on women partners of Vietnam veterans. Smith College Studies in Social Work, 58, 122-143. doi:10.1080/00377318809516639
28.
Manguino-MireG.SautterF.LyonsJ.MyersL.PerryD.ShermanM.. . .SullivanG. (2007). Psychological distress and burden among female partners of combat veterans with PTSD. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 195, 144-151.
29.
MarshallA. D.PanuzioJ.TaftC. T. (2005). Intimate partner violence among military veterans and active duty servicemen. Clinical Psychology Review, 25, 862-876.
30.
McLeanH. B. (2006). A narrative study of the spouses of traumatized Canadian soldiers (Doctoral dissertation). University of British Columbia, Canada.
31.
MillikenC. S.AuchterlonieJ. L.HogeC. W. (2007). Longitudinal assessment of mental health problems among active and reserve component soldiers returning from the Iraq War. Journal of the American Medical Association, 298, 2141-2148.
32.
MooreA. D.HamiltonJ. B.Pierre-LouisB. J.JenningsB. M. (2013). Increasing access to care and reducing mistrust: Important considerations when implementing the patient-centered medical home in Army health clinics. Military Medicine, 178, 291-297.
NaybackA. M. (2008). Health disparities in military veterans with PTSD: Influential sociocultural factors. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing, 46(6), 43-51.
35.
NelsonB. S.WrightD. W. (1996). Understanding and treating post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in female partners of veterans with PTSD. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 22, 455-467.
36.
O’TooleB. I.OutramS.CattsF.PierseK. R. (2010). The mental health of partners of Australian Vietnam veterans three decades after the war and its relation to veteran military service, combat, and PTSD. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 198, 841-845.
37.
RenshawK. D.AllenE.RhoadesG.BlaisR.MarkmanH.StanleyS. (2011). Distress in spouses of service members with symptoms of combat-related PTSD: Secondary traumatic stress or general psychological distress?Journal of Family Psychology, 25, 461-469.
38.
RenshawK. D.RodebaughT. L.RodriguesC. S. (2010). Psychological and marital distress in spouses of Vietnam veterans: Importance of spouses’ perceptions. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 24, 743-750.
39.
ShermanM. D.BowlingU. (2011). Challenges and opportunities for intervening with couples in the aftermath of the Global War on Terrorism. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy, 41, 1-9.
40.
ShermanM. D.SautterF.LyonsJ. A.Manguno-MireG. M.HanX.PerryD.SullivanG. (2005). Mental health needs of cohabitating partners of Vietnam veterans with combat-related PTSD. Psychiatric Services, 56, 1150-1152.
41.
SpiveyL. (2010). New approach to PTSD offers service members greater privacy, reduced stigma. Air Force Print News Today, 7, 1-2.
42.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2011). Presidential initiative supports military families. SAMHSA News, 19(1), p. 15.
43.
TaftC. T.WeatherillR. P.WoodwardH. E.PintoL. A.MillerM. W.DekelR. (2009). Intimate partner and general aggression perpetration among combat veterans presenting to a posttraumatic stress disorder clinic. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 79, 461-468.
44.
TetenA. L.SchumacherJ. A.TaftC. T.StanleyM. A.KentT. A.BaileyS. D.. . .WhiteD. L. (2010). Intimate partner aggression perpetrated and sustained by male Afghanistan, Iraq, and Vietnam veterans with and without posttraumatic stress disorder. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 25, 1612-1630.
VerboskyS. J.RyanD. A. (1988). Female partners of Vietnam veterans: Stress by proximity. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 9, 95-104.
52.
WesterinkJ.GiarratanoL. (1999). The impact of posttraumatic stress disorder on partners and children of Australian Vietnam veterans. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 33, 841-847.
53.
WestphalR.WoodwardK. R. (2010). Family fitness. Military Medicine, 175(Supp. 1), 97-102.
54.
WhitfieldC. L.AndaR. F.DubeS. R.FelittiV. J. (2003). Violent childhood experiences and the risk of intimate partner violence in adults: Assessment in a large health maintenance organization. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 18, 166-185.
55.
WhittemoreR.KnaflK. (2005). The integrative review: Updated methodology. Methodological Issues in Nursing Research, 52, 546-553.
56.
WoodsJ. (2010). When a soldier returns home from Iraq and/or Afghanistan with post-traumatic stress disorder: The lived experience of the spouse (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from Dissertation Abstracts International. B. The Sciences and Engineering. (71, 5-B)
