Top

Published in:

01-11-2010 | Original Paper

Patterns and Perceptions of Intimate Partner Violence Committed by Returning Veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Authors: Erin P. Finley, Monty Baker, Mary Jo Pugh, Alan Peterson

Published in: Journal of Family Violence | Issue 8/2010

Abstract

Data from a recent mixed-methods study conducted among Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) raise important questions regarding the occurrence of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) in this population. Three case studies illustrate two main findings. First, Veterans and family members participating in the study described three patterns of partner violence—violence committed in anger; dissociative violence; and parasomniac/hypnopompic violence—suggesting that distinct patterns of IPV may emerge in relation to PTSD symptoms. Second, participants’ descriptions suggest that common ideas about PTSD and war-related suffering can play an important role in influencing how Veterans and their partners respond to episodes of partner violence. It is important for those providing care to PTSD-diagnosed Veterans and their partners to understand when and how partner violence may occur, and how both parties may perceive and respond to it, in order to aid in developing appropriate plans for coping and safety-seeking.

Belleville, G., Guay, S., & Marchand, A. (2009). Impact of sleep disturbances on PTSD symptoms and perceived health. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 197, 126–132.CrossRefPubMed

Bremner, J. D., & Brett, E. (1997). Trauma-related dissociative states and long-term psychopathology in post-traumatic stress disorder. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 10(1), 37–49.PubMed

Byrne, C. A., & Riggs, C. A. (1996). The cycle of trauma: relationship aggression in male Vietnam veterans with symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder. Violence and Victims, 11, 213–225.PubMed

Cabrera, O. A., Hoge, C. W., Bliese, P. D., Castro, C. A., & Messer, S. C. (2007). Childhood adversity and combat as predictors of depression and post-traumatic stress in deployed troops. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 33(2), 77–82.CrossRefPubMed

Chase, K. A., O'Leary, K. D., & Heyman, R. E. (2001). Categorizing partner-violent men within the reactive-proactive typology model. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 69(3), 567–572.CrossRefPubMed

Elbogen, E. B., Beckham, J. C., Butterfield, M. I., Swartz, M., & Swanson, J. (2008). Assessing risk of violence behavior among veterans with severe mental illness. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 21(1), 113–117.CrossRefPubMed

Goff, B. S. N., Crow, J. R., Reisbig, A. M. J., & Hamilton, S. (2007). The impact of individual trauma symptoms of deployed soldiers on relationship satisfaction. Journal of Family Psychology, 21(3), 344–353.CrossRefPubMed

Hoge, C. W., Auchterlonie, J. L., & Milliken, C. S. (2006). Mental health problems, use of mental health services, and attrition from military services after returning from deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan. Journal of the American Medical Association, 295, 1023–1032.CrossRefPubMed

Hoge, C. W., Castro, C. A., & Eaton, K. M. (2007). Impact of combat duty in Iraq and Afghanistan on family functioning: Findings from the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research Land Combat Study. Paper presented at the Human Dimensions in Military Operations—Military Leader's Strategies for Addressing Stress and Psychological Support, Meeting proceedings RTO-MP-HFM-134, Paper 5. Neuilly-sur-Seine, France.

Hoge, C. W., Castro, C. A., Messer, S. C., McGurk, D., Cotting, D. I., & Koffman, R. L. (2004). Combat duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, mental health problems, and barriers to care. The New England Journal of Medicine, 351(1), 13–22.CrossRefPubMed

Johnson, M. P. (1995). Patriarchal terrorism and common couple violence: two forms of violence against women. Journal of Marriage and Family, 57(2), 286–294.

Jordan, B. K., Marmar, C. R., Fairbank, J. A., Schlenger, W. E., Kulka, R. A., Hough, R. L., et al. (1992). Problems in families of male Vietnam Veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 60(6), 916–926.CrossRefPubMed

Kaufman, M. L., Kimble, M. O., Kaloupek, D. G., McTeague, L. M., Bachrach, P., Forti, A. M., et al. (2002). Peritraumatic dissociation and physiological response to trauma-relevant stimuli in Vietnam combat veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 190(3), 167–174.CrossRefPubMed

Kramer, M., & Kinney, L. (2003). Vigilance and avoidance during sleep in US Vietnam War Veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 191(10), 685–687.CrossRefPubMed

Marmar, C. R., Weiss, D. S., Schlenger, W. E., Fairbank, J. A., Jordan, B. K., Kulka, R. A., et al. (1994). Peritraumatic dissociation and posttraumatic stress in Male Vietnam Theater Veterans. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 151, 902–907.PubMed

Marshall, A. D., Panuzio, J., & Taft, C. T. (2005). Intimate partner violence among military veterans and active duty servicemen. Clinical Psychology Review, 25, 862–876.CrossRefPubMed

MHAT. (2008). Mental Health Advisory Team (MHAT) V: Operation Iraqi Freedom 06–08: Iraq, Operation Enduring Freedom 08: Afghanistan. Washington, D.C.: Office of the Surgeon, Multi-National Force—Iraq and Office of the Command Surgeon and Office of the Surgeon General, United States Army Medical Command.

Milliken, C. S., Auchterlonie, J. L., & Hoge, C. W. (2007). Longitudinal assessment of mental health problems among active and reserve component soldiers returning from the Iraq war. JAMA, 298(18), 2141–2148.CrossRefPubMed

Monson, C., Price, J. L., Rodriguez, B. F., Ripley, M. P., & Warner, R. A. (2004). Emotional deficits in military-related PTSD: an investigation of content and process disturbances. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 17(3), 275–279.CrossRefPubMed

Monson, C., Taft, C. T., & Fredman, S. J. (2009). Military-related PTSD and intimate relationships: from description to theory-driven research and intervention development. Clinical Psychology Review, 29, 707–714.CrossRefPubMed

Moskowitz, A. (2004). Dissociation and violence: a review of the literature. Trauma, Violence & Abuse, 5(1), 21–46.CrossRef

Nurius, P. S., & Macy, R. J. (2008). Heterogeneity among violence-exposed women: applying person-oriented research methods. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 23(3), 389–415.CrossRefPubMed

O'Donnell, C., Cook, J. M., Thompson, R., Riley, K., & Neria, Y. (2006). Verbal and physical aggression in World War II former prisoners of war: role of posttraumatic stress disorder and depression. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 19(6), 859–866.CrossRefPubMed

Pole, N., Best, S. R., Metzler, T., & Marmar, C. R. (2005). Why are Hispanics at greater risk for PTSD? Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology, 11(2), 144–161.CrossRef

Ray, S. L., & Vanstone, M. (2009). The impact of PTSD on veterans' family relationships: an interpretative phenomenological inquiry. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 46(6), 838–847.CrossRefPubMed

Roca, V., Hart, J., Kimbrell, T., & Freeman, T. (2006). Cognitive function and dissociative disorder status among veteran subjects with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder: a preliminary study. The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 18, 226–230.PubMed

Sammons, M. T., & Batten, S. V. (2008). Psychological services for returning veterans and their families: evolving conceptualizations of the sequalae of war-zone experiences. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 64, 921–927.CrossRefPubMed

Sayers, S. L., Farrow, V. A., Ross, J., & Oslin, D. W. (2009). Family problems among recently returned military veterans referred for a mental health evaluation. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 70(2), 163–170.CrossRefPubMed

Schumm, W. R., Bell, D. B., & Gade, P. A. (2007). Effects of a military oversease peacekeeping deployment on marital quality, satisfaction, and stability. Psychological Reports, 87, 815–821.CrossRef

Seal, K. H., Bertenthal, D., Miner, C. R., Sen, S., & Marmar, C. (2007). Bringing the war back home: mental health disorders among 103, 788 U.S. Veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan seen at Department of Veterans Affairs facilities. Archives of Internal Medicine, 167, 476–482.CrossRefPubMed

Sheikh, J. I., Woodward, S. H., & Leskin, G. A. (2003). Sleep in post-traumatic stress disorder and panic: convergence and divergence. Depression and Anxiety, 18, 187–197.CrossRefPubMed

Sherman, M. D., Sautter, F., Jackson, H. M., Lyons, J. A., & Han, X. (2006). Domestic violence in veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder who seek couples therapy. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 32, 479–490.CrossRefPubMed

Slep, A. M. S., & Heyman, R. E. (2008). Public health approaches to family maltreatment prevention: resetting family psychology's sights from the home to the community. Journal of Family Psychology, 22(3), 518–528.CrossRefPubMed

Straus, M. A., & Gelles, R. J. (1990). Physical violence in American families: Risk factors and adaptations to violence in 8, 145 families. New Brunswick: Transaction Books.

Taft, C. T., Pless, A. P., Stalans, L. J., Koenen, K. C., King, L. A., & King, D. W. (2005). Risk factors for partner violence among a national sample of combat veterans. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 73, 151–159.CrossRefPubMed

Tanielian, T., Jaycox, L. H., Schell, T. L., Marshall, G. N., Burnham, M. A., Eibner, C., et al. (2008). Invisible Wounds of War: Psychological and cognitive injuries, their consequences, and services to assist recovery. San Diego: Rand Corporation.

Teten, A. L., Sherman, M. D., & Han, X. (2009). Violence between therapy-seeking veterans and their partners. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 24(1), 111–127.CrossRefPubMed

van der Kolk, B. A., Pelcovitz, D., Roth, S., Mandel, F. S., McFarlane, A., & Herman, J. L. (1996). Dissociation, somatization, and affect dysregulation: the complexity of adaptation to trauma. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 153(7Suppl), 83–93.PubMed

Waelde, L. C., Silvern, L., & Fairbank, J. A. (2005). A taxometric investigation of dissociation in Vietnam veterans. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 18(4), 359–369.CrossRefPubMed

Title: Patterns and Perceptions of Intimate Partner Violence Committed by Returning Veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Authors: Erin P. Finley
Monty Baker
Mary Jo Pugh
Alan Peterson
Publication date: 01-11-2010
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: Journal of Family Violence / Issue 8/2010
Print ISSN: 0885-7482
Electronic ISSN: 1573-2851
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-010-9331-7

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Patterns and Perceptions of Intimate Partner Violence Committed by Returning Veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Abstract

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 8/2010

Intimate Partner Violence: Victims’ Opinions About Going to Trial

Barriers in the Utilization of Domestic Violence Services Among Arab Immigrant Women: Perceptions of Professionals, Service Providers & Community Leaders

Exploring the Impact of Child Sex Offender Suicide

The Relationship Between Religious and Spiritual Factors and the Perpetration of Intimate Personal Violence

Damned if They Flee, Doomed if They Don’t: Narratives of Runaway Adolescent Females from Rural India

Seeking Help to Protect the Children?: The Influence of Children on Women’s Decisions to Seek Help When Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence