Differentiation of the self and posttraumatic symptomatology among ex-POWs and their wives.
War captivity is a highly traumatic experience which sometimes has deleterious effects on both ex-POWs and their wives. This study examined the relationships between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and differentiation among male ex-prisoners of war (ex-POWs; n = 103), their wives (n = 82), and comparable controls. Results show that ex-POWs and their wives endorsed more PTSD symptoms than controls. Ex-POWs endorsed more cut-off and fusion than controls, while their wives endorsed only more fusion than control wives. Finally, the relationship between differentiation and PTSD was found to be stronger among ex-POW couples than among control couples. The unique characteristics of war captivity and the relationships between avoidance symptoms and cut-off were suggested as possible explanations.
Solomon
Zahava
Z
The Adler Research Center for Child Welfare and Protection, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. solomon@post.tau.ac.il
Dekel
Rachel
R
Zerach
Gadi
G
Horesh
Danny
D
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology*; D012650:Self Disclosure; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*; D014481:United States; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology*; D014857:Warfare