MMPI-2-RF characteristics of veterans seeking treatment for military sexual trauma.

Military sexual trauma (MST) is defined as experiences of sexual assault or repeated, threatening, harassment during military service. MST events may not qualify within posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Criterion A, making symptoms associated with MST unique from trauma-related disorders. Little research has been done to understand those presenting for MST treatment. Thus, this article provides Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory 2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) scores of 33 U.S. veterans who experienced MST in an effort to better understand psychological and personality characteristics of this important and unique group of veterans. Our sample comprised mainly African American, female, U.S. Army veterans seeking treatment of MST at a Department of Veterans Affairs specialty clinic. A majority of participants reported an attempted or actual rape during their service, averaging 1.87 (SD = 1.33) MST events. The most common diagnoses assigned by diagnosticians at intake were PTSD, mood disorders, and personality disorders. With regard to MMPI-2-RF results, the sample generated elevated scores on somatic, mood, anxiety, and interpersonal dysfunction scales. Implications of these findings and areas of future research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record

Posttraumatic stress disorder and suicidal ideation, plans, and impulses: The mediating role of anxiety sensitivity cognitive concerns among veterans.

BACKGROUND: Although the relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suicide has been firmly established, research on underlying mechanisms has been disproportionately low. The cognitive concerns subscale of anxiety sensitivity (AS), which reflects fears of cognitive dyscontrol, has been linked to both PTSD and suicide and thus may serve as an explanatory mechanism between these constructs. METHODS: The sample consisted of 60 male veterans presenting to an outpatient Veteran Affairs (VA) clinic for psychological services. Upon intake, veterans completed a diagnostic interview and brief battery of self-report questionnaires to assist with differential diagnosis and treatment planning. RESULTS: Results revealed a significant association between PTSD symptom severity and higher suicidality (i.e., ideation, plans, and impulses), even after accounting for relevant demographic and psychological constructs. Moreover, AS cognitive concerns mediated this association. LIMITATIONS: Limitations include the small sample size and cross-sectional nature of the current study. CONCLUSIONS: These findings add considerably to a growing body of literature examining underlying mechanisms that may help to explain the robust associations between PTSD and suicide. Considering the malleable nature of AS cognitive concerns, research is needed to determine the extent to which reductions in this cognitive risk factor are associated with reductions in suicide among at risk samples, such as those included in the present investigation.

Spiritual struggles and suicide in veterans seeking PTSD treatment.

OBJECTIVE: Research indicates that trauma can precipitate a loss of faith and struggles in the spiritual domain, leading to increased suicide risk. However, little is known about the specific types of spiritual struggles that may confer risk. This brief report examines the utility of a newly developed measure, the Religious and Spiritual Struggles Scale in gauging suicide risk in veterans. METHOD: As part of their initial assessment, 52 veterans presenting to an outpatient posttraumatic stress disorder and substance use clinic were administered self-report symptom measures. RESULTS: Multiple regression analyses revealed that divine struggles and struggles with the ultimate meaning were significantly and positively associated with increased suicide risk, even after controlling for relevant demographic (e.g., being male and Caucasian) and psychological variables (e.g., posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms as well as alcohol and substance use symptoms). CONCLUSIONS: Results provide preliminary support for use of the Religious and Spiritual Struggles Scale with veterans and highlight the potential utility in assessing for spiritual struggles when assessing suicide risk. (PsycINFO Database Record

Associations between lower order anxiety sensitivity dimensions and DSM-5 posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms.

Anxiety sensitivity (AS), a well-established individual difference variable reflecting a tendency to fear bodily sensations associated with arousal, has been implicated in the development and maintenance of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Despite these associations, little research has examined the relations between AS subfactors (eg physical, cognitive, and social) and PTSD symptoms and none have examined these associations in the context of DSM-5 (Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition) PTSD clusters (ie intrusion, avoidance, negative alterations in cognitions/mood, and arousal). Participants included 50 veterans presenting to an outpatient Veteran Affairs Clinic for psychological services. Upon intake, veterans completed a brief battery of self-report questionnaires to assist with differential diagnosis and treatment planning. Results revealed unique associations between lower order AS dimensions, in particular the cognitive concerns dimension, and all four DSM-5 PTSD symptom clusters. Given the malleable nature of AS cognitive concerns, as well as the growing number of veterans in need of care, future research should determine the extent to which targeting this cognitive risk factor reduces PTSD symptom severity among veterans.