Female Combatants

Citation:

Renshaw, Keith D., Sarah B. Campbell, Laura Meis, and Christopher Erbes. 2014. “Gender Differences in the Associations of PTSD Symptom Clusters With Relationship Distress in U.S. Vietnam Veterans and Their Partners.” Journal of Traumatic Stress 27 (3): 283–90. doi:10.1002/jts.21916.

Authors: Sarah B. Campbell, Christopher Erbes, Laura Meis, Keith D. Renshaw

Abstract:

Research has consistently linked symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with relationship distress in combat veterans and their partners. Studies of specific clusters of PTSD symptoms indicate that symptoms of emotional numbing/withdrawal (now referred to as negative alterations in cognition and mood) are more strongly linked with relationship distress than other symptom clusters. These findings, however, are based predominantly on samples of male veterans. Given the increasing numbers of female veterans, research on potential gender differences in these associations is needed. The present study examined gender differences in the multivariate associations of PTSD symptom clusters with relationship distress in 465 opposite-sex couples (375 with male veterans and 90 with female veterans) from the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study. Comparisons of nested path models revealed that emotional numbing/withdrawal symptoms were associated with relationship distress in both types of couples. The strength of this association, however, was stronger for female veterans (b = .46) and female partners (b = .28), compared to male veterans (b = .38) and male partners (b = .26). Results suggest that couples-based interventions (e.g., psychoeducation regarding emotional numbing symptoms as part of PTSD) are particularly important for both female partners of male veterans and female veterans themselves.

Topics: Female Combatants, Male Combatants, Women, Men, Gender Analysis, Mental Health, PTSD, Military Forces & Armed Groups Regions: Americas, North America Countries: United States of America

Year: 2014

Citation:

Kimerling, Rachel, Tracey Serpi, Frank Weathers, Amy M. Kilbourne, Han Kang, Joseph F. Collins, Yasmin Cypel, et al. 2014. “Diagnostic Accuracy of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI 3.0) PTSD Module Among Female Vietnam-Era Veterans.” Journal of Traumatic Stress 27 (2): 160–67. doi:10.1002/jts.21905.

Authors: Joseph F. Collins, Yasmin Cypel, Susan M. Frayne, Joan Furey, Grant D. Huang, Han Kang, Amy M. Kilbourne, Rachel Kimerling, Kathryn Magruder, Matthew J. Reinhard, Tracey Serpi, Avron Spiro, Frank Weathers

Abstract:

The World Health Organization (WHO) Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) module is widely used in epidemiological studies of PTSD, yet relatively few data attest to the instrument's diagnostic utility. The current study evaluated the diagnostic utility of the CIDI 3.0 PTSD module with U. S. women Vietnam-era veterans. The CIDI and the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) were independently administered to a stratified sample of 160 women, oversampled for current PTSD. Both lifetime PTSD and recent (past year) PTSD were assessed within a 3-week interval. Forty-five percent of the sample met criteria for a CAPS diagnosis of lifetime PTSD, and 21.9% of the sample met criteria for a CAPS diagnosis of past-year PTSD. Using CAPS as the diagnostic criterion, the CIDI correctly classified 78.8% of cases for lifetime PTSD (κ = .56) and 82.0% of past year PTSD cases (κ = .51). Estimates of diagnostic performance for the CIDI were sensitivity of .61 and specificity of .91 for lifetime PTSD and sensitivity of .71 and specificity of .85 for past-year PTSD. Results suggest that the CIDI has good utility for identifying PTSD, though it is a somewhat conservative indicator of lifetime PTSD as compared to the CAPS.

Topics: Female Combatants, Gender, Women, Health, PTSD, Military Forces & Armed Groups Regions: Americas, North America Countries: United States of America

Year: 2014

Citation:

Lunney, Carole A., Paula P. Schnurr, and Joan M. Cook. 2014. “Comparison of Clinician- and Self-Assessments of Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms in Older Versus Younger Veterans.” Journal of Traumatic Stress 27 (2): 144–51. doi:10.1002/jts.21908.

Authors: Joan M. Cook, Carole A. Lunney, Paula P. Schnurr

Abstract:

Assessment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in older adults has received limited investigation. The purpose of this study was to compare the severity of PTSD symptoms in treatment-seeking older and younger U.S. veterans with PTSD. Participants were 360 male and 284 female veterans enrolled in 2 separate clinical trials of psychotherapy for PTSD. About 4% of the participants were age 60 years or older. Symptoms were assessed before treatment using clinician-rated and self-report measures. For men, only numbing symptoms were lower in older veterans; this was so in clinician ratings, d = 0.76, and self-reports, d = 0.65. For women, clinician-rated hyperarousal symptoms were lower in older veterans, d = 0.57. Clinician-rated and self-reported symptoms were strongly related, Bs = 0.95 and 0.80 in the male and female samples, respectively. Among men, clinician-rated and self-reported reexperiencing and hyperarousal symptoms were associated only in younger veterans. Accurate assessment of PTSD symptoms in older adults is essential to identifying and implementing effective treatment. Our findings suggest that some symptoms may be lower in older men, and that some symptoms of PTSD may be underdetected in older women. Future research should assess the combined effect of gender and age on PTSD symptom presentation.

Topics: Age, Female Combatants, Male Combatants, Women, Men, Health, PTSD, Military Forces & Armed Groups Regions: Americas, North America Countries: United States of America

Year: 2014

Citation:

Worthen, Miranda, Sujit D. Rathod, Gregory Cohen, Laura Sampson, Robert Ursano, Robert Gifford, Carol Fullerton, Sandro Galea, and Jennifer Ahern. 2015. “Anger and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Severity in a Trauma-Exposed Military Population: Differences by Trauma Context and Gender.” Journal of Traumatic Stress 28 (6): 539–46. doi:10.1002/jts.22050.

Authors: Jennifer Ahern, Gregory Cohen, Carol Fullerton, Sandro Galea, Robert Gifford, Sujit D. Rathod, Laura Sampson, Robert Ursano, Miranda Worthen

Annotation:

Studies have found a stronger association between anger and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) severity in military populations than in nonmilitary populations. Two hypotheses have been proposed to explain this difference: Military populations are more prone to anger than nonmilitary populations, and traumas experienced on deployment create more anger than nondeployment traumas. To examine these hypotheses, we evaluated the association between anger and PTSD severity among never-deployed military service members with nondeployment traumas (n = 226) and deployed service members with deployment traumas (n = 594) using linear regression. We further examined these associations stratified by gender. Bivariate associations between anger and PTSD severity were similar for nondeployment and deployment events; however, gender modified this association. For men, the association for deployment events was stronger than for nondeployment events (β = .18, r = .53 vs. β = .16, r = .37, respectively), whereas the reverse was true for women (deployment: β = .20, r = .42 vs. nondeployment: β = .25, r = .65). Among men, findings supported the hypothesis that deployment traumas produce stronger associations between PTSD and anger and are inconsistent with hypothesized population differences. In women, however, there was not a clear fit with either hypothesis.

Topics: Female Combatants, Male Combatants, Health, Mental Health, Military Forces & Armed Groups

Year: 2015

Citation:

Levy, Yagil. 2013. “The Military as a Split Labor Market: The Case of Women and Religious Soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces.” International Journal of Politics, Culture, and Society 26 (4): 393–414. doi:10.1007/s10767-013-9146-7.

Author: Yagil Levy

Abstract:

A conflict between religious male soldiers and secular female soldiers has emerged since the 2000s within the Israel Defense Forces. This clash has gradually taken the form of religious rhetoric, articulated by rabbis and other religious activists, that has moved from refraining from publicly questioning the fitness of women as combatants to discourse that gradually delegitimized women’s service. Based on the theoretical theme of the split labor market, I will argue that there is a link between the extent to which the growing introduction of women into field units threatens to devalue the religious youth’s symbolic rewards and the escalation in anti-feminist rhetoric, whose ultimate goal is to exclude women from the military.

Keywords: diversity management, gender exclusion, military service, split labor market

Topics: Combatants, Female Combatants, Male Combatants, Women, Military Forces & Armed Groups, Militaries, Religion Regions: Africa, MENA, Asia, Middle East Countries: Israel

Year: 2013

Citation:

Millegan, Jeffrey, Emma K. Milburn, Cynthia A. LeardMann, Amy E. Street, Diane Williams, Daniel W. Trone, and Nancy F. Crum-Cianflone. 2015. “Recent Sexual Trauma and Adverse Health and Occupational Outcomes Among U.S. Service Women.” Journal of Traumatic Stress 28 (4): 298–306. doi:10.1002/jts.22028.

Authors: Nancy F. Crum-Cianflone, Cynthia A. LeardMann, Jeffrey Millegan, Emma K. Milburn, Amy E. Street, Daniel W. Trone, Diane Williams

Abstract:

Sexual trauma is prevalent among military women, but data on potential effects are needed. The association of sexual trauma with health and occupational outcomes was investigated using longitudinal data from the Millennium Cohort Study. Of 13,001 U.S. service women, 1,364 (10.5%) reported recent sexual harassment and 374 (2.9%) recent sexual assault. Women reporting recent sexual harassment or assault were more likely to report poorer mental health: OR = 1.96, 95% CI [1.71, 2.25], and OR = 3.45, 95% CI [2.67, 4.44], respectively. They reported poorer physical health: OR = 1.39, 95% CI [1.20, 1.62], and OR = 1.39, 95% CI [1.04, 1.85], respectively. They reported difficulties in work/activities due to emotional health: OR = 1.80, 95% CI [1.59, 2.04], and OR = 2.70, 95% CI [2.12, 3.44], respectively. They also reported difficulties with physical health: OR = 1.55, 95% CI [1.37, 1.75], and OR = 1.52 95% CI [1.20, 1.91], respectively, after adjustment for demographic, military, health, and prior sexual trauma characteristics. Recent sexual harassment was associated with demotion, OR = 1.47, 95% CI [1.12, 1.93]. Findings demonstrated that sexual trauma represents a potential threat to military operational readiness and draws attention to the importance of prevention strategies and services to reduce the burden of sexual trauma on military victims.

Topics: Combatants, Female Combatants, Health, Mental Health, Military Forces & Armed Groups, Sexual Violence Regions: Americas, North America Countries: United States of America

Year: 2015

Citation:

Monteith, Lindsey L., Deleene S. Menefee, Jeri E. Forster, Jill L. Wanner, and Nazanin H. Bahraini. 2015. “Sexual Trauma and Combat During Deployment: Associations With Suicidal Ideation Among OEF/OIF/OND Veterans.” Journal of Traumatic Stress 28 (4): 283–88. doi:10.1002/jts.22018.

Authors: Nazanin H. Bahraini, Jeri E. Forster, Deleene S. Menefee, Lindsey L. Monteith, Jill L. Wanner

Abstract:

Compelling evidence has emerged on the association between military sexual trauma and suicide attempt; however, research investigating how sexual trauma during deployment relates to suicidal ideation has received considerably less attention and has yielded mixed findings. Furthermore, such research has not accounted for other types of trauma that may occur during deployment. Our objectives were to examine whether sexual trauma during deployment was associated with recent suicidal ideation, adjusting for exposure to combat. Our sample included 199 Operation Enduring Freedom/Iraqi Freedom/New Dawn (OEF/OIF/OND) veterans entering inpatient trauma-focused treatment who completed the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (Beck & Steer, ) and the Deployment Risk and Resilience Inventory Sexual Harassment and Combat Experiences Scales (King, King, Vogt, Knight, & Samper, ). Deployment-related sexual trauma was significantly associated with recent suicidal ideation, adjusting for age and gender (β = .18, ηp2 = .03) and additionally for combat (β = .17, ηp2 = .02). These findings underscore the importance of assessing for deployment-related sexual trauma when assessing suicide risk in OEF/OIF/OND veterans in inpatient settings.

Topics: Armed Conflict, Female Combatants, Male Combatants, Health, Trauma, Military Forces & Armed Groups, Sexual Violence Regions: MENA, Americas, North America, Asia, Middle East, South Asia Countries: Afghanistan, Iraq, United States of America

Year: 2015

Citation:

Voelkel, Emily, Nicole D. Pukay-Martin, Kristen H. Walter, and Kathleen M. Chard. 2015. “Effectiveness of Cognitive Processing Therapy for Male and Female U.S. Veterans With and Without Military Sexual Trauma.” Journal of Traumatic Stress 28 (3): 174–82. doi:10.1002/jts.22006.

Authors: Emily Voelkel, Nicole D. Pukay-Martin, Kristen H. Walter, Kathleen M. Chard

Abstract:

Military sexual trauma (MST) affects approximately 2% and 36% of male and female veterans, respectively, (e.g., Allard, Gregory, Klest, & Platt, ). Although the deleterious consequences of MST have been clearly established, few studies have explored treatment effectiveness for this population. Using archival data from a residential treatment program, the current study explored the effectiveness of cognitive processing therapy (CPT) in treating full or subthreshold posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to compare U.S. veterans reporting an MST index trauma (MST-IT) to those without MST-IT. Of the 481 participants, 40.7% endorsed MST-IT. Multiway frequency analyses were utilized to compare men and women with and without MST on baseline demographic variables. Hierarchical linear models were constructed to investigate treatment outcome by MST status and sex. Results showed that 44.8%, 23.8%, and 19.6% of the variation in clinician- and self-reported PTSD and depression symptoms were explained by three models. Scores on all outcome measures significantly decreased over time for both groups. Additionally, women demonstrated a sharper decrease in PTSD symptoms over time than men. Lastly, men who reported MST-IT had higher PTSD symptoms than men without MST-IT on average. With no control group or random assignment, preliminary findings suggest residential treatment including CPT may be effective for MST-IT regardless of sex.

Topics: Female Combatants, Male Combatants, Women, Men, Health, Trauma, Military Forces & Armed Groups, Sexual Violence Regions: Americas, North America Countries: United States of America

Year: 2015

Citation:

Stahlman, Shauna, Marjan Javanbakht, Susan Cochran, Alison B. Hamilton, Steven Shoptaw, and Pamina M. Gorbach. 2015. “Mental Health and Substance Use Factors Associated With Unwanted Sexual Contact Among U.S. Active Duty Service Women.” Journal of Traumatic Stress 28 (3): 167–73. doi:10.1002/jts.22009.

Authors: Susan Cochran, Pamina M. Gorbach, Alison B. Hamilton, Marjan Javanbakht, Steven Shoptaw, Shauna Stahlman

Abstract:

Many U.S. military women are exposed to unwanted sexual contact during military service, which can have important implications for mental health. Using data from the 2008 Department of Defense Survey of Health Related Behaviors, we employed multiple logistic regression methods to examine whether unwanted sexual contact was associated with stress, screening positive for mental disorders, or substance use, among active duty service women. The sample included 7,415 female military personnel, of whom 13.4% reported unwanted sexual contact (including any touching of genitals) since entering the military. After adjusting for potentially confounding variables, factors independently associated with unwanted sexual contact included military-related stress (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.44), family/personal life-related stress (AOR = 1.78), and gender-related stress (AOR = 1.98) in the past 12 months. In addition, screening positive for depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, or psychological distress, and suicidal ideation or attempt were associated with unwanted sexual contact (AOR = 1.57–2.11). For drug/alcohol use, only misuse of tranquilizers/muscle relaxers (past 12 months) was associated with report of unwanted sexual contact (AOR = 1.35). Given the prevalence of unwanted sexual contact and corresponding adverse health outcomes in this sample of active duty women, strategies to create military structural/cultural changes and reduce gender-related stress and sexism are needed.

Topics: Armed Conflict, Female Combatants, Gender, Women, Health, Mental Health, Sexual Violence Regions: Americas, North America Countries: United States of America

Year: 2015

Citation:

Vrdoljak, Ana Filipa. 2015. “Women and PMSCs: International Law and Regulation.” In Gender and Private Security in Global Politics, edited by Maya Eichler. Oxford Studies in Gender and International Relations. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Author: Ana Filipa Vrdoljak

Topics: Combatants, Female Combatants, Gender, Women, International Law, Military Forces & Armed Groups, Private Military & Security

Year: 2015