Risk and Resilience Factors of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Severity Among Veterans

Introduction Veterans experience high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) which impacts their daily functioning and long-term health outcomes; however, the deployment and post-deployment factors that contribute to the development and severity of symptoms are not fully understood. This study investigated risk and resilience factors during and after deployment that may impact the development of PTSD. Materials and Methods This Institutional Review Board–approved study examined risk and resilience factors of PTSD symptom severity using the Deployment Risk and Resilience Inventory-2 and the PTSD checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - Fifth Edition (DSM-5) among 54 Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation New Dawn Veterans. Multiple regressions and moderated regressions examined the influence of the risk and resilience factors on PTSD symptoms. Results Adverse deployment environmental conditions were associated with worse PTSD outcomes, while post-deployment social support predicted better outcomes. Contrary to expectation, support from family and friends during deployment was associated with worse PTSD outcomes. Deployment environmental conditions significantly moderated the relationships between post-deployment social support and PTSD and between post-deployment stressors and PTSD such that the impact of these post-deployment factors on PTSD was weakened when deployment environmental conditions were worse. Conclusion Consistent with previous research, social support post-deployment was an important predictor of PTSD outcomes and should be a focus of societal reintegration for Veterans. In addition, adverse conditions during deployment (e.g., cleanliness, access to showers) was a significant factor predicting post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) outcomes and should be prioritized to optimize Veteran health. These deployment conditions were associated with poor PTSD outcomes even for Veterans with high social support and with low life stressors. Findings suggest that enhancing environmental conditions—such as improving safety and cleanliness—may significantly reduce PTSD symptom severity among Veterans.