Elucidating How Combat and Non-Combat Stressors Predict Subsequent Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Psychological Distress in New Zealand Defence Force Service Personnel

Abstract

The current study investigated whether combat and non-combat stressors, as main effects and as an interaction, would predict posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and subsequent diminished psychological well-being of New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) personnel. The sample was 1,434 NZDF military personnel who completed questionnaires at two different times: 1) immediately post-deployment, and 2) six months post-deployment. First, a longitudinal mediation showed that PTSD significantly mediated the influence of combat stressors on subsequent psychological distress. And second, non-combat stressors exacerbated the influence of combat stressors on subsequent PTSD. These findings suggest that contemporaneous non-combat stressors play a role in worsening adverse psychological outcomes.