Psychological and Relationship Distress Among Partners of Civilian PTSD Patients

Significant others of individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may experience both intrapersonal and interpersonal distress its caregivers. The aim of the present study is 3-fold: (1) to examine symptoms of psychological and relationship distress (anxiety, depression, and dyadic adjustment) among partners of civilian patients with PTSD, (2) to investigate the links between partners' distress and PTSD patients' symptoms (severity; intrusion, avoidance, and arousal subscales), and (3) to explore the perception of mental and physical health, types of trauma and compare partners and PTSD patients' Measures. Fifty-seven PTSD patients and their partners filled out 4 questionnaires: Marital Adjustment Test, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory-II, and Medical Outcome Survey Short Form-12. Results showed that only a minority of partners presented clinical levels or depression (16.7%), anxiety (14.8%), and relationship distress (37%). Pearson correlations analyses revealed ail absence of statistically significant relationship between partners' distress and PTSD patients' symptoms. In conclusion. although Our study is not a direct validation of the secondary traumatic stress, model, our findings fail to provide strong support to the secondary traumatic hypothesis among partners of civilian PTSD patients.