There is a growing literature addressing the issue of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the recent years. However, there is just a small portion of the growth in the literature that represents empirical investigation of PTSD and its implications. The posttraumatic stress disorder is a series problem for the military, and clinical impressions make it increasingly clear that soldiers serving as the peacekeepers may experience harmful personal consequences for mental health and the well-being. The research in this area focuses primarily on the presence of PTSD in service members. The current data suggest that approximately 10-20% of the armed forces personnel deployed in combat, humanitarian disaster relief, and peacekeeping present with PTSD following their tour of duty (Bramsen, Dirkzwager, & van der Ploeg, 2000).
The service members need closer examination because of the multiple stressors and also the potentially threatening situations they exposed to during their duty. According to Lewis (2003) the sharp increase in deployment since the end of cold war 1989 has an association with increased psychological problems in the military personnel. There tends to be a scarcity of research examining the taxonomic issues of PTSD; thus, there is a need for research to help determine how the PTSD affects the emotion, physical, and social well-being of service members. The experience of service men and women in the contemporary military is one of repeated and long deployment in conditions where direct exposure to combat is common. The common psychic wounds incurred by the military personnel with the direct exposure to combat associated with PTSD. The intention of this present study is to examine the full impact of PTSD on the well-being of service members about their social, physical, and emotional status.
Definition
So as to understand the relevance of this paper, I provide a comprehensive definition of PTSD. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) refers to PTSD as an anxiety disorder with the essential feature of the direct experience of exposure to extreme traumatic stressors followed by the characteristic symptoms. The direct experience involves the threat of injury to self, death, or injury to others combined with the response of intense helplessness or fear. APA (2000) defines three symptoms of PTSD, which include intrusive memories, increased anxiety and hyper-arousal, and avoidance and numbing.
According to the service members Civil Relief Act section 101, a service member is a member of the uniformed services. In this case, the service member is a member of the navy, army, air force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard.
Literature review
According to Yehuda (2002), an event that carries a tangible threat of death or serious injury to ones self or other can evoke a strong response of fear in the affected person and produce in that person a perception of inescapable vulnerability. VantVerlaat et al. (2011) conducted a study on the impact of work-related critical incidents in the health care professions. According to the researchers, the work-related critical incidents may induce PTSD, depression, and anxiety that may negatively affect the health care practitioners behavior towards patients. In the study, VantVerlaat et al. (2011) found that critical incidents positively relate to anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress symptoms in the health profession. The researchers found that the predictive factors for the PTSD usually occur concurrent with, before, and following the traumatic event. According to VantVerlaat et al. (2011), they noted that the severity of the traumatic event was a factor in the development of PTSD.
The PTSD of service members following the exposure to combat violence tends to affect the members familial relationship and the psychological adjustment of the family members. There are studies that examine the negative impact of an individuals traumatic stress on his or her family member as secondary traumatization. In a study by Rhoades et al. (2011), the researchers aimed at examining the composition of the spouses distress so as to determine whether it reflects the secondary traumatic stress or psychological distress. The researchers found that PTSD was a critical mediating element in the development of emotional difficulties causing damage to family relationships. Rhoades et al. (2011) found that wives attributed distress symptoms to events in their lives alone and also symptoms to their husbands military experiences. The researcher stated that those wives who attributed their symptoms to the military experience of their husbands might be experiencing some form of secondary traumatic stress. In support of these findings, Galovsky & Lyons (2004) found that there is clear evidence that when PTSD is as a result of exposure to violence in a combat situation, the impact on the significant people in her or his life is dramatic.
PTSD positively relate to rates of physical care utilization, chronic medical illnesses, a variety of poor health outcomes, and poor quality of life. Obesity and overweight in the combination with symptoms of PTSD and depression tend to compound these risks further. Pertrzak et al. (2011) conducted a study with the aim of examining the rates of obesity and overweight in a sample of Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom Veterans. The researcher also aimed to explore the relationship between obesity and overweight and the symptoms of PTSD and depression. Pertrzak et al. (2011) hypothesized that obesity would have a positive relationship with PTSD symptoms and depression. The researchers found that veterans from the current conflicts were at an elevated risk of obesity and overweight with the potential of trends towards increased weight with time. According to Pertrzak et al. (2011), weight status can have a moderating influence on the relationship between the psychological distresses and weigh with the obesity having a stronger association with a psychiatric diagnosis.
Guerra & Calhoun (2011) conducted a study with the purpose of examining the relation that exists between PTSD and suicidal ideation among the US military veterans. The researchers objectives were to investigate whether PTSD associated with suicidal ideation after controlling the combat exposure and the history of suicide attempt. The study also aimed to determine whether PTSD associated with suicidal ideation absent a co-occurring depressive disorder or the alcohol use. The third objective was whether co-occurring depressive disorder or the alcohol use increased the risk of suicidal ideation among PTSD and whether PTSD symptoms associated with suicidal ideation. From the study results, Guerra & Calhoun (2011) found that PTSD and giày patin co-occurring depressive disorder associated with prior suicide attempt.
In the study, the researchers concluded that the emotional numbing cluster of the PTSD symptoms and a cognitive-affective cluster of MDD symptoms associated with suicidal ideation. The memories and the reminders of traumatic events are unpleasant and lead to considerable distress. Hence, PTSD people will tend to avoid situations, events, or people, who may remind them of trauma. When they attempt to do this, they withdraw from family, society, friends, and they no longer take part in those activities that they used to enjoy.
In a study to examine the impact of PTSD, Mendlowicz et al. (2007) conducted a cross-sectional survey for PTSD with Brazilian ambulance workers. The aim of the study was determining the prevalence of PTSD symptoms in a sample of Brazilian rescue workers exposed to work-related stressful events. The second aim was comparing groups with partial and full PTSD with a control group regarding the indicators of physical, mental health, psychosocial functioning, and the quality of life. From the study, the workers with PTSD showed an impairment in the mental and physical domain where workers with partial PTSD showed emotional problems. According to the researchers, the characteristics and also the level of exposure to the trauma of the study population can account for the low prevalence of PTSD. The researchers found that the ambulance workers with full PTSD had lower scores significantly on the four SF-36 scale covering distinct components of mental and physical health than the healthy coworkers. The findings also indicated that partial PTSD seemed associated with a more selective impact on the mental health domain and they more frequently had self-reported emotional problems as compared with those without PTSD.
In this study, the aim is determining the impact of service members PTSD on their physical, emotional, and social well-being. Based on the above literature, it indicates that PTSD has an association with adjustment problems in the family and professional settings with impaired mental and physical health and a decrease in the quality of life.
Methodology
Research question
The research question for the study is
What impact does PTSD have on the service members emotional, physical, and social well-being?
Participants
The aim of the research is to determine how PTSD impacts the physical, social, and emotional well-being of service members. So as to conduct the study, it will be necessary to gather data from people who work with PTSD people and also from individual PTSD person. The study participants will include clinicians working with the service members and also service members. The researcher will select two clinicians and eight service members with PSTD. The study will include ten participants who will help to provide data relating to this study.
Sampling technique
So as to obtain data concerning the impact of PTSD on service members well-being, I intend to conduct an interview with clinicians and PTSD service members. The clinicians will be working in an institution that provides services to service members. The clinicians selected must be licensed medical doctor or a licensed psychologist. The clinicians must also have direct experience working with the military personnel involved in direct exposure to combat. It is essential to collect data from clinicians who work with PTSD service members because they have experience working with PTSD patients and understand their emotional and physical well-being. The clinicians can provide information on how PTSD affects the service members.
The study will also include PTSD service members who through an interview will answer questions that relate to their well-being. During the interview, the service members will have to answer questions about how exposure to combat influences their well-being regarding their relationship with friends, families, and society. It is also beneficial to interview the PTSD service members as they can help answer how their experience impacts their emotional and physical well-being.
Research design
So as to address the research question, the study will use qualitative research design. The qualitative research usually allows the exploration of events as they occur (Williams, 2007). The benefit of using qualitative research when conducting this study is that it usually allows the researcher to remain open all through the data collection process; thus, allowing them to follow data as they collect. The aim of the study, it to help understand the experience of participants and then determine the impact it has on their well-being. The qualitative design is appropriate when conducting this study because it offers a deeper understanding of how PTSD impact the service members. The qualitative research adds to the benefit of research through aiding the researcher in obtaining in-depth knowledge of the world from the participants view (Williams, 2007). When using qualitative study, it used inductive reasoning in conducting an in-depth analysis of certain phenomena. The researcher engages actively in the process of finding knowledge. The research design also has the advantage of providing insight into the problem
Materials/instruments
After selecting the study participating, the instrument that we will use in collecting data will be interviewed. The researcher will conduct face-to-face interviews with each of the participants. The interviews will last approximately 25 minutes in length where the researcher will record each interview for the aim of making a written transcription. The interviews will be a semi-structured interview where the first of the interview will comprise of close-ended questions. The close-ended question aim at collecting a uniform set of data as it limits the participants response to the choices offered in the interview protocols (Schindler & Cooper, 2013). The second part of the interview will include an open-ended question that seek to collect in-depth information regarding the experience of participants about their well-being. The open-ended questions do not limit the response of participants to specific answers. Thus, it enables participants to provide in-depth account of their perception and experience (Bryman & Bell, 2011)
Procedure
The researcher will visit a large institution working with PTSD service members and request for approval to conduct the study. The researcher will then ask the clinician dealing with PTSD patients to provide a list of patients that the researcher will select participants using random sampling from the list. Later, the researcher will organize a time to conduct the interview with participants after participants having signed the consent form. The researcher will also inform the participants the objective of the study and assure them that their participation in the study is voluntary, and they are free not to participate in it.
Conclusion
The study seeks to examine the impact of PTSD on the emotional, physical, and social well-being of service members. So as to conduct the study, the researcher will interview eight PTSD service members and two clinicians with experience working with PTSD patients. During the study, the researcher will consider several ethical issues that relate to the research including confidentiality, respect, and privacy of data. When conducting the study, the researcher intends to use qualitative research design so as to explore the issue.
Reference
American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. Washington, DC: Author
Barber J, Sanders, K Bayer L, & Pertrzak R (2011). Assessment of threats of overweight and obesity and the symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and the Depression in a sample of operation during freedom. Military Medicine 176(2)
Bramsen, I., Dirkzwager, A. J. E., van Esch, S. C. M., & van der Ploeg, H. M. (2001). The consistency of self-reports of traumatic events in a population of Dutch peacekeepers: Reasons for optimism. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 14(4), 733-740.
Bramsen, I., Dirkzwager, E., & van der Ploeg, H. M. (2000). Predeployment personality traits and exposure to trauma as predictors of posttraumatic stress symptoms. American Journal of Psychiatry, 157, 1115- 1119.
Bryman, A. & Bell, E. (2011). Business research methods. UK: Oxford University Press
Galovski, T. & Lyons, J.A. (2004). Psychological sequelae of combat violence. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 9, 495-496.
Guerra, V & Calhoun, P (2011). Examining the relation between the posttraumatic stress disorder and the suicidal ideation in an OEF/OIF veteran sample. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 25
Maurat, M Berger, W Marim J Jardin, R Bucassio, O & Mendlowicz, M (2007). Partial and full PTSD in Brazilian ambulance workers: Prevalence and impact on health and the quality of life. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 20
Renshaw, K Allen, E Markman, H Stanley, S & Rhoades, G (2011). Distress in Spouses of Service Members with the Symptoms of Combat-Related PTSD. Journal of family psychology 25(4)
Schindler, D. & Cooper, P. (2013). Business research methods. USA; McGraw-Hill Publisher
VantVerlaat, E., Lok, A., De Boer, J & Smit, J (2011). Work-related critical incidents in the hospital-based healthcare providers and the risk of posttraumatic stress symptoms, anxiety, and depression. Social Science & Medicine, 73,
Williams, C. (2007). Research methods. Business and Economic Research, 5(3), 65-72.
PUEBLO CONTINENTE
How does PTSD impact the service member emotional, physical, and social well-being?
Alfonzo Caraway (2019-01-20)
| Enviar respuesta
IntroductionThere is a growing literature addressing the issue of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the recent years. However, there is just a small portion of the growth in the literature that represents empirical investigation of PTSD and its implications. The posttraumatic stress disorder is a series problem for the military, and clinical impressions make it increasingly clear that soldiers serving as the peacekeepers may experience harmful personal consequences for mental health and the well-being. The research in this area focuses primarily on the presence of PTSD in service members. The current data suggest that approximately 10-20% of the armed forces personnel deployed in combat, humanitarian disaster relief, and peacekeeping present with PTSD following their tour of duty (Bramsen, Dirkzwager, & van der Ploeg, 2000).
The service members need closer examination because of the multiple stressors and also the potentially threatening situations they exposed to during their duty. According to Lewis (2003) the sharp increase in deployment since the end of cold war 1989 has an association with increased psychological problems in the military personnel. There tends to be a scarcity of research examining the taxonomic issues of PTSD; thus, there is a need for research to help determine how the PTSD affects the emotion, physical, and social well-being of service members. The experience of service men and women in the contemporary military is one of repeated and long deployment in conditions where direct exposure to combat is common. The common psychic wounds incurred by the military personnel with the direct exposure to combat associated with PTSD. The intention of this present study is to examine the full impact of PTSD on the well-being of service members about their social, physical, and emotional status.
Definition
So as to understand the relevance of this paper, I provide a comprehensive definition of PTSD. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) refers to PTSD as an anxiety disorder with the essential feature of the direct experience of exposure to extreme traumatic stressors followed by the characteristic symptoms. The direct experience involves the threat of injury to self, death, or injury to others combined with the response of intense helplessness or fear. APA (2000) defines three symptoms of PTSD, which include intrusive memories, increased anxiety and hyper-arousal, and avoidance and numbing.
According to the service members Civil Relief Act section 101, a service member is a member of the uniformed services. In this case, the service member is a member of the navy, army, air force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard.
Literature review
According to Yehuda (2002), an event that carries a tangible threat of death or serious injury to ones self or other can evoke a strong response of fear in the affected person and produce in that person a perception of inescapable vulnerability. VantVerlaat et al. (2011) conducted a study on the impact of work-related critical incidents in the health care professions. According to the researchers, the work-related critical incidents may induce PTSD, depression, and anxiety that may negatively affect the health care practitioners behavior towards patients. In the study, VantVerlaat et al. (2011) found that critical incidents positively relate to anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress symptoms in the health profession. The researchers found that the predictive factors for the PTSD usually occur concurrent with, before, and following the traumatic event. According to VantVerlaat et al. (2011), they noted that the severity of the traumatic event was a factor in the development of PTSD.
The PTSD of service members following the exposure to combat violence tends to affect the members familial relationship and the psychological adjustment of the family members. There are studies that examine the negative impact of an individuals traumatic stress on his or her family member as secondary traumatization. In a study by Rhoades et al. (2011), the researchers aimed at examining the composition of the spouses distress so as to determine whether it reflects the secondary traumatic stress or psychological distress. The researchers found that PTSD was a critical mediating element in the development of emotional difficulties causing damage to family relationships. Rhoades et al. (2011) found that wives attributed distress symptoms to events in their lives alone and also symptoms to their husbands military experiences. The researcher stated that those wives who attributed their symptoms to the military experience of their husbands might be experiencing some form of secondary traumatic stress. In support of these findings, Galovsky & Lyons (2004) found that there is clear evidence that when PTSD is as a result of exposure to violence in a combat situation, the impact on the significant people in her or his life is dramatic.
PTSD positively relate to rates of physical care utilization, chronic medical illnesses, a variety of poor health outcomes, and poor quality of life. Obesity and overweight in the combination with symptoms of PTSD and depression tend to compound these risks further. Pertrzak et al. (2011) conducted a study with the aim of examining the rates of obesity and overweight in a sample of Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom Veterans. The researcher also aimed to explore the relationship between obesity and overweight and the symptoms of PTSD and depression. Pertrzak et al. (2011) hypothesized that obesity would have a positive relationship with PTSD symptoms and depression. The researchers found that veterans from the current conflicts were at an elevated risk of obesity and overweight with the potential of trends towards increased weight with time. According to Pertrzak et al. (2011), weight status can have a moderating influence on the relationship between the psychological distresses and weigh with the obesity having a stronger association with a psychiatric diagnosis.
Guerra & Calhoun (2011) conducted a study with the purpose of examining the relation that exists between PTSD and suicidal ideation among the US military veterans. The researchers objectives were to investigate whether PTSD associated with suicidal ideation after controlling the combat exposure and the history of suicide attempt. The study also aimed to determine whether PTSD associated with suicidal ideation absent a co-occurring depressive disorder or the alcohol use. The third objective was whether co-occurring depressive disorder or the alcohol use increased the risk of suicidal ideation among PTSD and whether PTSD symptoms associated with suicidal ideation. From the study results, Guerra & Calhoun (2011) found that PTSD and giày patin co-occurring depressive disorder associated with prior suicide attempt.
In the study, the researchers concluded that the emotional numbing cluster of the PTSD symptoms and a cognitive-affective cluster of MDD symptoms associated with suicidal ideation. The memories and the reminders of traumatic events are unpleasant and lead to considerable distress. Hence, PTSD people will tend to avoid situations, events, or people, who may remind them of trauma. When they attempt to do this, they withdraw from family, society, friends, and they no longer take part in those activities that they used to enjoy.
In a study to examine the impact of PTSD, Mendlowicz et al. (2007) conducted a cross-sectional survey for PTSD with Brazilian ambulance workers. The aim of the study was determining the prevalence of PTSD symptoms in a sample of Brazilian rescue workers exposed to work-related stressful events. The second aim was comparing groups with partial and full PTSD with a control group regarding the indicators of physical, mental health, psychosocial functioning, and the quality of life. From the study, the workers with PTSD showed an impairment in the mental and physical domain where workers with partial PTSD showed emotional problems. According to the researchers, the characteristics and also the level of exposure to the trauma of the study population can account for the low prevalence of PTSD. The researchers found that the ambulance workers with full PTSD had lower scores significantly on the four SF-36 scale covering distinct components of mental and physical health than the healthy coworkers. The findings also indicated that partial PTSD seemed associated with a more selective impact on the mental health domain and they more frequently had self-reported emotional problems as compared with those without PTSD.
In this study, the aim is determining the impact of service members PTSD on their physical, emotional, and social well-being. Based on the above literature, it indicates that PTSD has an association with adjustment problems in the family and professional settings with impaired mental and physical health and a decrease in the quality of life.
Methodology
Research question
The research question for the study is
What impact does PTSD have on the service members emotional, physical, and social well-being?
Participants
The aim of the research is to determine how PTSD impacts the physical, social, and emotional well-being of service members. So as to conduct the study, it will be necessary to gather data from people who work with PTSD people and also from individual PTSD person. The study participants will include clinicians working with the service members and also service members. The researcher will select two clinicians and eight service members with PSTD. The study will include ten participants who will help to provide data relating to this study.
Sampling technique
So as to obtain data concerning the impact of PTSD on service members well-being, I intend to conduct an interview with clinicians and PTSD service members. The clinicians will be working in an institution that provides services to service members. The clinicians selected must be licensed medical doctor or a licensed psychologist. The clinicians must also have direct experience working with the military personnel involved in direct exposure to combat. It is essential to collect data from clinicians who work with PTSD service members because they have experience working with PTSD patients and understand their emotional and physical well-being. The clinicians can provide information on how PTSD affects the service members.
The study will also include PTSD service members who through an interview will answer questions that relate to their well-being. During the interview, the service members will have to answer questions about how exposure to combat influences their well-being regarding their relationship with friends, families, and society. It is also beneficial to interview the PTSD service members as they can help answer how their experience impacts their emotional and physical well-being.
Research design
So as to address the research question, the study will use qualitative research design. The qualitative research usually allows the exploration of events as they occur (Williams, 2007). The benefit of using qualitative research when conducting this study is that it usually allows the researcher to remain open all through the data collection process; thus, allowing them to follow data as they collect. The aim of the study, it to help understand the experience of participants and then determine the impact it has on their well-being. The qualitative design is appropriate when conducting this study because it offers a deeper understanding of how PTSD impact the service members. The qualitative research adds to the benefit of research through aiding the researcher in obtaining in-depth knowledge of the world from the participants view (Williams, 2007). When using qualitative study, it used inductive reasoning in conducting an in-depth analysis of certain phenomena. The researcher engages actively in the process of finding knowledge. The research design also has the advantage of providing insight into the problem
Materials/instruments
After selecting the study participating, the instrument that we will use in collecting data will be interviewed. The researcher will conduct face-to-face interviews with each of the participants. The interviews will last approximately 25 minutes in length where the researcher will record each interview for the aim of making a written transcription. The interviews will be a semi-structured interview where the first of the interview will comprise of close-ended questions. The close-ended question aim at collecting a uniform set of data as it limits the participants response to the choices offered in the interview protocols (Schindler & Cooper, 2013). The second part of the interview will include an open-ended question that seek to collect in-depth information regarding the experience of participants about their well-being. The open-ended questions do not limit the response of participants to specific answers. Thus, it enables participants to provide in-depth account of their perception and experience (Bryman & Bell, 2011)
Procedure
The researcher will visit a large institution working with PTSD service members and request for approval to conduct the study. The researcher will then ask the clinician dealing with PTSD patients to provide a list of patients that the researcher will select participants using random sampling from the list. Later, the researcher will organize a time to conduct the interview with participants after participants having signed the consent form. The researcher will also inform the participants the objective of the study and assure them that their participation in the study is voluntary, and they are free not to participate in it.
Conclusion
The study seeks to examine the impact of PTSD on the emotional, physical, and social well-being of service members. So as to conduct the study, the researcher will interview eight PTSD service members and two clinicians with experience working with PTSD patients. During the study, the researcher will consider several ethical issues that relate to the research including confidentiality, respect, and privacy of data. When conducting the study, the researcher intends to use qualitative research design so as to explore the issue.
Reference
American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. Washington, DC: Author
Barber J, Sanders, K Bayer L, & Pertrzak R (2011). Assessment of threats of overweight and obesity and the symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and the Depression in a sample of operation during freedom. Military Medicine 176(2)
Bramsen, I., Dirkzwager, A. J. E., van Esch, S. C. M., & van der Ploeg, H. M. (2001). The consistency of self-reports of traumatic events in a population of Dutch peacekeepers: Reasons for optimism. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 14(4), 733-740.
Bramsen, I., Dirkzwager, E., & van der Ploeg, H. M. (2000). Predeployment personality traits and exposure to trauma as predictors of posttraumatic stress symptoms. American Journal of Psychiatry, 157, 1115- 1119.
Bryman, A. & Bell, E. (2011). Business research methods. UK: Oxford University Press
Galovski, T. & Lyons, J.A. (2004). Psychological sequelae of combat violence. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 9, 495-496.
Guerra, V & Calhoun, P (2011). Examining the relation between the posttraumatic stress disorder and the suicidal ideation in an OEF/OIF veteran sample. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 25
Maurat, M Berger, W Marim J Jardin, R Bucassio, O & Mendlowicz, M (2007). Partial and full PTSD in Brazilian ambulance workers: Prevalence and impact on health and the quality of life. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 20
Renshaw, K Allen, E Markman, H Stanley, S & Rhoades, G (2011). Distress in Spouses of Service Members with the Symptoms of Combat-Related PTSD. Journal of family psychology 25(4)
Schindler, D. & Cooper, P. (2013). Business research methods. USA; McGraw-Hill Publisher
VantVerlaat, E., Lok, A., De Boer, J & Smit, J (2011). Work-related critical incidents in the hospital-based healthcare providers and the risk of posttraumatic stress symptoms, anxiety, and depression. Social Science & Medicine, 73,
Williams, C. (2007). Research methods. Business and Economic Research, 5(3), 65-72.
Añadir comentario