Abstract
Objective: War captivity entails severe posttraumatic implications for ex-prisoners of war (POWs) and their partners. This study examines the role of self-differentiation in secondary traumatization and dyadic adjustment among ex-POWs' spouses. Methods: A total of 106 spouses of Israeli ex-POWs and 56 matched spouses of ex-combatants completed self-report questionnaires assessing secondary posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms (SPS), self-differentiation (fusion, cut-off, balanced), general psychiatric distress (GPD), and dyadic adjustment. Results: Ex-POWs' spouses reported lower dyadic adjustment and higher levels of SPS, GPD, and fusion and cut-off differentiation, compared to ex-combatants' spouses. A “mixed” differentiation style characterized by high levels of both fusion and cut-off was associated with particularly high distress levels. Fusion differentiation moderated the association between SPS/GPD and dyadic adjustment. Conclusion: Self-differentiation plays an important role in posttraumatic spousal relationships. Women showing unstable differentiation may be particularly vulnerable when living with a veteran. Treatments for posttraumatic couples should target dysregulated interpersonal distance and promote adaptive differentiation.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1904-1922 |
Number of pages | 19 |
Journal | Journal of Clinical Psychology |
Volume | 76 |
Issue number | 10 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1 Oct 2020 |
Keywords
- PTSD
- secondary traumatization
- self-differentiation
- spouses
- war captivity
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Clinical Psychology
- Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)