If you are in an immediate crisis, please go to your nearest Emergency Room, or call 911, or call 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) to talk to someone right now.
Traumatic Stress in Female Veterans
by Lynda A. King, Ph.D., Women's Health Sciences Division,
Boston and Daniel W. King, Ph.D., Behavioral Science Division,
Boston
Findings from a National Study of Female Vietnam War
Veterans
During and after the Vietnam War, mental-health professionals
and behavioral scientists began to notice adjustment problems in
some veterans returning from Southeast Asia. At first, these
problems were characterized as a "post-Vietnam syndrome." In 1980,
this condition was officially recognized by the American
Psychiatric Association as Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, or
PTSD.
The National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study
The National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study (NVVRS) is the
only national study of Vietnam veterans that included women. Of the
1,632 Vietnam veterans in the study, 432 were women veterans who
had served in or around Vietnam sometime between 1964 and 1975.
Most of these women were registered nurses, and 90% had been
commissioned officers. Over half had served more than 4 years in
the military, and about one-fifth had served 20 years or more. At
the time of the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study, about
45% of these women were married; less than half had children.
Results
The National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study found that
approximately 27% of women Vietnam veterans suffered from PTSD
sometime during their postwar lives. Over the last few years,
researchers at the National Center for PTSD have been looking
further into the information collected in the NVVRS. One part of
our research work has been to determine how factors other than
war-zone experiences might be related to the severity of PTSD.
We have found that high levels of social support after the war
played an important role for women. Those women who reported that
they had friends and family available to them were less likely to
have symptoms of PTSD. In particular, emotional support-having
someone to talk to and someone who really cares-helped women to
adjust more comfortably to postwar life. It was also important for
the returning women veterans to feel that they could rely on others
to assist them with tasks in times of need. Veterans who had this
form of support also suffered less from PTSD.
From the National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder,
US Department of Veterans Affairs.
www.mentalhealth.va.gov
What is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?
PTSD FAQs
Treatment of PTSD
How common is PTSD?
What can I do if I think I have PTSD?
Helping a Family Member Who Has PTSD
How is PTSD Measured?
Traumatic Stress in Female Veterans
FAQs About PTSD Assessment
DSM-IV-TR criteria for PTSD
FAQs About PTSD Assessment: For Professionals
Trauma Exposure Measures
Chart - Trauma Exposure Measures
Potential Stressful Events Interview (PSEI)
Stressful Life Events Screening Questionnaire (SLESQ)
Trauma Assessment for Adults—Self-report (TAA)
Trauma History Questionnaire (THQ)
Trauma History Screen (THS)
Traumatic Events Questionnaire (TEQ)
Traumatic Life Events Questionnaire (TLEQ)
Traumatic Stress Schedule (TSS)
Combat Exposure Scale (CES)
Evaluation of Lifetime Stressors (ELS)
Life Stressor Checklist—Revised (LSC-R)
Trauma Exposure Measures
PTSD Screening Instruments
Below is a list of links to information on select PTSD Screens, brief questionnaires completed in order to identify people who are more likely to have PTSD. A positive response to the screen does not necessarily indicate that a patient has Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. However, a positive response does indicate that a patient may have PTSD or trauma-related problems and further investigation of trauma symptoms by a mental-health professional may be warranted.
Chart - Screens for PTSD
Short Form of the PTSD Checklist - Civilian Version
Short Screening Scale for PTSD
The SPAN
SPRINT
The Primary Care PTSD Screen (PC-PTSD)
Trauma Screening Questionnaire (TSQ)
Beck Anxiety Inventory – Primary Care (BAI-PC)
PTSD Screening
PLEASE NOTE: Screens are to be used to determine possible problems, and positive cases should be followed up by assessment with a structured interview for PTSD.
Common Reactions to Trauma
People experience a range of reactions following trauma. Here you will find information on what these common reactions are, including anger, nightmares, sleep problems, and more.
Avoidance
Nightmares
Anger and Trauma
Sleep and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
What Are the Traumatic Stress Effects of Terrorism?
Common Reactions After Trauma
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Email: ncptsd@va.gov
Call: THE PTSD Information Line at (802) 296-6300
National Sexual Assault hotline: 1-800-656-4673
http://www.rainn.org*
Where to Get Help
If you are in an immediate crisis, please go to your nearest Emergency Room, or call 911, or call 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) to talk to someone right now.
