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Polusny MA, Erbes CR. A prospective study of pre-deployment personality, combat-related PTSD, and physical health complaints among deployed soldiers. Paper presented at: International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies Annual Meeting; 2012 Nov 3; Los Angeles, CA.
Although PTSD is believed to be a key mechanism underlying the link between trauma exposure and poor physical health outcomes, most studies of the relationship between PTSD and physical health complaints have been cross-sectional and few have accounted for the influence of pre-trauma individual differences. This study prospectively investigated whether post-deployment PTSD symptoms predicted subsequent increased physical health complaints in a sample of 522 National Guard soldiers deployed to Iraq. Soldiers completed a battery of questionnaires one month before they were deployed to Iraq (Time 1), 3-6 months (Time 2), one year (Time 3), and two years (Time 4) after returning home. After controlling for demographics variables and Time 1 physical health complaints, results of multiple linear regression analyses showed personality dimensions evaluated at Time 1 using truncated MMPI-2/MMPI-2 RF Restructured Clinical (RC) Scales (RC1 Somatization and RC3 Cynicism) were significant independent predictors of increased physical health complaints two years post-deployment (Time 4). After controlling for combat exposure and injury sustained on deployment, pre-deployment cynicism and post-deployment (Time 2) PTSD symptoms were predictive of increased physical health complaints, however, pre-deployment somatization was no longer significant. Possible mediating relationships will examined and implications will be discussed.
