title: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms, Intimate Partner Violence, and Relationship Functioning: A Meta-Analytic Review.
abstract: This meta-analysis was the first study of which we are aware to investigate the association between Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., text rev.; DSM-IV-TR; American Psychiatric Association, 2000) PTSD symptom clusters and parent, child, family, and marital/partner functioning problems (e.g., intimate partner violence [IPV] and intimacy). Of the 23 studies that met inclusion criteria, the sample was predominantly male (83.8%), Caucasian (65.0%), and from the military (98.9%). The average age was 43.65 years old (SD = 6.27); the average sample size was 397.4 (SD = 416.9; total N = 9,935). PTSD symptom clusters were assessed primarily by self-report (87.0%), with 8.7% using a rating by a clinician. We used fixed analysis following Fisher's r to z transformation and an unbiased weighing and summing of effect sizes within samples and across studies. We found a small association between hyperarousal and IPV (z = .20). We also found two moderate associations for the emotional numbing and avoidance symptom clusters: (a) with parent, child, and family functioning (z = .32, z = .28, respectively); and (b) with intimacy problems (z = .35, z = .42, respectively). We found two large associations for emotional numbing: marital and parent problems (z = .47) and parent, child, and family functioning problems (z = .32, respectively). Our findings suggested that treatments aim to lessen the effect on those who have close relationships with the individual with PTSD.
authors.affiliation: Trauma Recovery Center, Cincinnati VA Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.|Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA.
authors.forename: Erica L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Birkley
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA. ceckhard@purdue.edu.
authors.forename: Christopher I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Eckhardt
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA.|Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA.
authors.forename: Rita E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Dykstra
mesh_terms: D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005195:Family Relations / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D000066511:Intimate Partner Violence / Q000523:psychology*; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012307:Risk Factors; D057566:Self Report; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy