ABSTRACT
Partners of Australian combat veterans are at an increased risk of experiencing mental health problems. The present study provides a comparative analysis of the mental health of partners of veterans with that of the Australian normative data. To compare different types of groups of partners, the study samples comprised: (a) partners of Australian combat veterans (Sample 1: n = 282, age M = 60.79, SD = 5.05), (b) a sub-sample of partners of Australian combat veterans from the previous sample (Sample 2: n = 50; M = 60.06, SD = 4.80), (c) partners of Special Air Services Regiment (SASR) personnel (Sample 3: n = 40, age M = 34.39SD = 7.01), and (d) partners of current serving military (non-SASR) personnel (Sample 4: n = 38, age M = 32.37, SD = 6.20). Respondents completed measures assessing their reported levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. Samples 1 and 2 comprised partners of Australian military veterans who reported significantly greater symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress than the comparative population norms. The sample of SASR personnel partners (Sample 3) reported significantly lower levels of depression and anxiety, whereas the sample with non-SASR personnel partners (Sample 4) reported a significantly greater stress symptomatology than the comparative norms. Number of deployments was found to be associated with depression, anxiety, and stress in partners of non-SASR veterans (Sample 4). Lessons and protective factors can be learnt from groups within the current military as to what may assist partners and families to maintain a better level of psychosocial health.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to develop and evaluate a multidimensional measure of distress experienced by partners of Australian combat veterans. METHOD: The Partners of Veterans Distress Scale (POV-DS) was developed using factor analysis on a sample of 665 female members of Partners of Veterans Association of Australia. Content validity for the scale was established by using focus groups and expert feedback during item development phase. In addition, two self-report inventories were administered to assess physical/mental health, and satisfaction with life. RESULTS: Following principal-axis factoring, 45 items were retained, loading on seven distinct but correlated factors: Sleep problems, Hyper-vigilance, Social isolation, Financial problems, Intimacy problems, Exhaustion, and Negative affect. The factor structure was cross-validated using confirmatory factor analysis on a hold-out sample. The distress subscales all exhibited excellent internal consistency (alphas ranged from 0.84 to 0.95). Validation analyses revealed subscales derived from the seven-factor model explained 31% to 45% of the variance in partners' physical health, mental health, and satisfaction with life. CONCLUSIONS: The study found that the POV-DS is a reliable and valid tool for assessing distress in partners of Australian combat veterans.
