BACKGROUND/RATIONALE:
The Veteran's Health Administration (VA) is mandated to treat veterans suffering from the effects of Military Sexual Trauma (MST) yet the effects of MST have only been examined in cross-sectional studies. Thus, prospective examinations of the ways in which MST impacts veterans have yet to be conducted. VA clinicians often see these patients only years after the MST experience, when serious chronic mental and physical illnesses may have developed from the changes in their lives following MST. The proposed study will investigate how MST may contribute to the development of serious conditions by those who suffer these traumas. This information will provide important insight into the experiences of the patients that the VA currently treats and in planning for the future healthcare needs of our veterans with MST.
OBJECTIVE(S):
Building on a previously conducted prospective longitudinal study of Marine recruits, we will examine the relationship between MST and respondents' functioning approximately 8 years after they joined the Marines. We will focus on health behaviors, with an understanding that there are risk and resilience factors that may influence trajectories following MST. This will also be one of the first studies examining sex differences and the effects of MST.
METHODS:
This is a longitudinal self-report study. These participants were assessed for trauma, psychological symptoms, and functioning at enlistment (T1), after recruit training (T2), and then at 9 months (T3) and 19 months after completion of recruit training (T4). This rich preexisting dataset provides an invaluable base upon which we will build, by assessing the participants now that their initial enlistment terms have been completed (T5). Using a survey instrument, we are able to assess the health behaviors and current functioning of both women (N=826) and men (N=1021) who previously participated in a prospective longitudinal study of Marine recruits (years 1997-1999). Participants are being contacted via mail and asked to participate in the T5 survey. A total of 4 mailings are sent to potential participants (including survey and postcard reminders). After 3 waves of mailing, 1143 have been located and 554 have completed surveys. Recruitment efforts are ongoing.
FINDINGS/RESULTS:
No results at this time.
Our anticipated findings will (1) determine what behaviors and areas of functioning are adversely affected by MST (2) uncover the risk and resilience factors for poor outcomes following MST (3) determine if there are sex differences in the effects of MST and its moderators of poor outcomes.
IMPACT:
The data from this prospective longitudinal investigation will be important to our understanding of recovery from MST and for VA to plan for future MST-related treatment needs and costs. This will be the first examination the effects of MST experiences using longitudinal prospective assessment of both male and female survivors. Our preliminary data reveal that sex differences in MST survivors are important to follow. In the immediate aftermath of MST men reported precipitous decline in perceived health. In contrast, the decline in perceived health for women in the immediate aftermath was more modest. Clearly understanding longer term trajectories is important for understanding if sex differences persist.
PUBLICATIONS:
Journal Articles
- Vogt DS, Rizvi SL, Shipherd JC, Resick PA. Longitudinal investigation of reciprocal relationship between stress reactions and hardiness. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. 2008; 34(1): 61-73.
