Altruism and the Vietnam war veteran: The relationship of helping to symptomatology

This study examines the relationships among demographic factors, combat experiences, personality characteristics, altruism, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology. Participants were Vietnam War veterans currently undergoing treatment for PTSD. The developmental level of internalized schemas of interpersonal relations (object relatedness) and the altruistic intent to help were significant predictors of PTSD symptomatology, with lower levels of symptomatology associated with higher levels of altruism. Results indicated that predispositional variables and altruistic intentions may be important factors to consider in designing and implementing treatment programs for chronically impaired veterans with PTSD.