Exploring resilience models in a sample of combat-exposed military service members and veterans: a comparison and commentary. Issue 1 (1st January 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sheerin, Christina M.; Stratton, Kelcey J.; Amstadter, Ananda B.; Education, Clinical Center (MIRECC) Workgroup, The VA Mid-Atlantic Mental Illness Research,; McDonald, Scott D.
• Is Part Of: European journal of psychotraumatology. Volume 9:Issue 1(2018)
• Publication Date: 2018-01-01
• Subjects: Resilience -- psychological -- veterans -- stress disorders -- post-traumatic -- military combat exposure; Resiliencia -- psicológico -- veteranos -- trastornos de estrés -- Postraumático -- exposición a combate militar; 韧性，心理 -- 退伍军人 -- 应激障碍，创伤后 -- 军事战争暴露; To illustrate the impact of various operational definitions on our understanding of resilience, we compared four definitions in the same sample of military personnel exposed to combat trauma (N = 849). The results empirically demonstrate that resilience classification varies across definitions and in this combat-trauma exposed sample, many of whom were treatment-seeking, many categorized as resilient by various definitions also had current psychiatric conditions. Examination of multiple domains of resilience will shed new light on our understanding of this construct.; Post-traumatic stress disorder -- Periodicals; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; Post-traumatic stress disorder; Electronic journals; Periodicals; Periodicals; Fulltext; Internet Resources; Periodicals; 616.8521
• DOI: 10.1080/20008198.2018.1486121
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2000-8198

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Background : The term resilience is applied in numerous ways in the mental health field, leading to different perspectives of what constitutes a resilient response and disparate findings regarding its prevalence following trauma. Objective : illustrate the impact of various definitions on our understanding and prevalence of resilience, we compared various resilience definitions (absence of PTSD, absence of current mental health diagnosis, absence of generalized psychological distress, and an alternative trauma load–resilience discrepancy model of the difference between actual and predicted distress given lifetime trauma exposure) within a combat-exposed military personnel and veteran sample. Method : In this combat-trauma exposed sample ( N = 849), of which approximately half were treatment seeking, rates of resilience were determined across all models, the kappa statistic was used to determine the concordance and strength of association across models, and t -tests examined the models in relation to a self-reported resilience measure. Results : Prevalence rates were 43.7%, 30.7%, 87.4%, and 50.1% in each of the four models. Concordance analyses identified 25.7% ( n = 218) considered resilient by all four models (kappa = .40, p < .001). Correlations between models and self-reported resilience were strong, but did not fully overlap. Conclusions :The discussion highlights theoretical considerations regarding the impact of various definitions and methodologies on resilience classifications, links current findings to a systems-based perspective, and ends with suggestions for future research approaches on resilience.