Combat level and social support in the development of posttraumatic stress disorder in Vietnam veterans.
Social support lowers PTSD symptoms in veterans the same amount no matter how heavy the combat was.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Researchers asked Vietnam veterans about combat level and social support.
They wanted to see if strong support protected against PTSD symptoms.
The team also checked if early life adjustment mattered.
What they found
More combat meant more PTSD signs.
More support meant fewer signs.
The two factors did not interact; support helped the same at every combat level.
How this fits with other research
Singh et al. (2017) found the same buffer idea in Indian moms of kids with autism. Family support cut depression tied to caregiving load.
Griffith et al. (2012) extended the work to Iraq/Afghanistan vets. They showed a new numbing/dysphoria cluster that predicts worse outcomes.
The 1988 paper says support and trauma act separately. Prerna’s team saw family support directly lower distress. Both agree: social ties matter, but they do not erase the stressor.
Why it matters
You can’t change past combat, but you can build support now. Screen vets for PTSD and map their social net in the same visit. Add family sessions or peer groups even if symptoms are mild. The protection is real, steady, and does not depend on trauma level.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of social support and exposure to combat on the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Vietnam veterans. A second purpose was to examine the influence of premorbid psychological adjustment on PTSD. Questionnaires were mailed to a population of Vietnam veterans, yielding a sample of 52 veterans who were blocked into four groups in a 2 (social support) by 2 (combat level) design. Home interviews were conducted, and comparisons among the groups were made regarding presence of PTSD symptoms, depression, and other psychological disturbance. Results found that veterans who received high social support reported fewer symptoms, and veterans with high combat trauma reported more symptoms. Generally, a significant interaction between social support and combat level was not found. Premorbid functioning was not found to differ among the four groups, suggesting little relationship to PTSD symptoms.
Behavior modification, 1988 · doi:10.1177/01454455880121005