Citation

Birkley EL, Eckhardt CI, Dykstra RE. J. Trauma. Stress 2016; 29(5): 397-405.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/jts.22129

PMID

27644053

Abstract

This meta-analysis was the first study of which we are aware to investigate the association between Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., text rev.; DSM-IV-TR; American Psychiatric Association, 2000) PTSD symptom clusters and parent, child, family, and marital/partner functioning problems (e.g., intimate partner violence [IPV] and intimacy). Of the 23 studies that met inclusion criteria, the sample was predominantly male (83.8%), Caucasian (65.0%), and from the military (98.9%). The average age was 43.65 years old (SD = 6.27); the average sample size was 397.4 (SD = 416.9; total N = 9,935). PTSD symptom clusters were assessed primarily by self-report (87.0%), with 8.7% using a rating by a clinician. We used fixed analysis following Fisher's r to z transformation and an unbiased weighing and summing of effect sizes within samples and across studies. We found a small association between hyperarousal and IPV (z =.20). We also found two moderate associations for the emotional numbing and avoidance symptom clusters: (a) with parent, child, and family functioning (z =.32, z =.28, respectively); and (b) with intimacy problems (z =.35, z =.42, respectively). We found two large associations for emotional numbing: marital and parent problems (z =.47) and parent, child, and family functioning problems (z =.32, respectively). Our findings suggested that treatments aim to lessen the effect on those who have close relationships with the individual with PTSD.

Copyright © 2016 International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.

Language: en