Combat Experience and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms among Military-Serving Parents: a Meta-Analytic Examination of Associated Offspring and Family Outcomes

Tessa K Kritikos; Jonathan S Comer; Meiqi He; Laura C Curren; Martha C Tompson

doi:10.1007/s10802-018-0427-5

Combat Experience and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms among Military-Serving Parents: a Meta-Analytic Examination of Associated Offspring and Family Outcomes

J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2019 Jan;47(1):131-148. doi: 10.1007/s10802-018-0427-5.

Authors

Tessa K Kritikos¹, Jonathan S Comer², Meiqi He³, Laura C Curren⁴, Martha C Tompson⁴

Affiliations

¹ Boston University, 648 Beacon Street, Boston, MA, 02215, USA. tessam@bu.edu.
² Florida International University, 11200 S.W. 8th Street, Miami, FL, 33199, USA.
³ University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, 130 De Soto Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA.
⁴ Boston University, 648 Beacon Street, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.

PMID: 29687429
DOI: 10.1007/s10802-018-0427-5

Abstract

In this meta-analysis, we review findings on the relationships between parental combat exposure and PTSD/PTSS in military-serving families and (1) parenting problems, (2) family maladjustment, and (3) offspring problems. We systematically searched for studies in PsycInfo, PsychArticles, Psychology and Behavior Sciences Collection, Published International Literature on Traumatic Stress (PILOTS), and PubMed/Medline as well as conducted manual searches. Search procedures identified 22 eligible studies, including 20 studies examining relationships between parental PTSD/PTSS and parenting, family, and/or offspring outcomes and 8 studies examining relationships between parental combat exposure and parenting, family, and/or offspring outcomes. Random effects meta-analytic models estimated omnibus associations between parental combat exposure/PTSD and pooled Family Difficulties, as well as individual relationships between parental combat exposure and PTSD/PTSS and parenting, family adjustment, and offspring outcomes. Small-to-moderate effect sizes were observed in the omnibus meta-analysis examining relationships between parental PTSD/PTSS and pooled Family Difficulties, and in the meta-analysis examining relationships between parental PTSD/PTSS and parenting problems, between parental PTSD/PTSS and poor family functioning, and between parental PTSD/PTSS and offspring problems. Associations between parental combat exposure and pooled Family Difficulties, as well as between parental combat exposure and parenting problems were smaller in magnitude. PTSD/PTSS among military-serving parents is associated with increased problems in the family environment, including parenting problems, family maladjustment, and offspring problems, whereas combat exposure alone is not as strongly associated with such family difficulties. Moderator analyses are presented and discussed as well. When military-serving parents show psychological symptoms, professionals should consider allocating resources to target broader family issues.

Keywords: Child symptoms; Combat exposure; Family functioning; Military families; PTSD; Parenting.

Publication types

Meta-Analysis
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Behavioral Symptoms / epidemiology*
Child
Child of Impaired Parents / statistics & numerical data*
Combat Disorders / epidemiology*
Family*
Humans
Military Personnel / statistics & numerical data*
Social Adjustment*
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / epidemiology*
Veterans / statistics & numerical data*