title: The relationship between self-disclosure and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder in peacekeepers deployed to Somalia.
abstract: The challenges of peacekeeping place individuals at risk for the development of significant psychological distress (e.g., B. T. Litz, S. Orsillo, M. Freidman, P. Ehlich, & A. Batres, 1997). Self-disclosure has been shown to ameliorate psychological distress following exposure to potentially traumatic events (J. W. Pennebaker & K. D. Harber, 1993). Sharing, or self-disclosure of deployment-related experiences, was the focus of this study and was hypothesized to be associated with adaptation. As part of a larger investigation, 426 U.S. military personnel who served as peacekeepers in Somalia were administered a comprehensive psychosocial questionnaire that included measures of exposure to negative and potentially traumatic experiences, reception at homecoming, self-disclosure, and PTSD symptom severity. The results indicate that adjustment to peacekeeping is significantly related to self-disclosure, especially to supportive significant others.
authors.affiliation: Boston VA Medical Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02130, USA. elisabolton@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Elisa E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Bolton
authors.forename: D Michael
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Glenn
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Orsillo
authors.forename: Lizabeth
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Roemer
authors.forename: Brett T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Litz
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012650:Self Disclosure; D012998:Somalia; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology*; D014857:Warfare