As the mental health needs of military personnel and veterans increase, there is equally growing interest in how the traumatic experiences of this group affects healthcare providers and family members. As such, cases of military secondary trauma in individuals who have direct exposure to returning veterans will likely increase. Military secondary trauma or secondary traumatic stress occurs due to exposure to patient traumatic experiences (Ludick & Figley, 2017). Extensive research on the topic, especially in recent years, provides new insights into the condition, thus contributing the body of knowledge on the condition. This paper reviews two research articles on military secondary trauma by assessing methods applied by the researcher in studying the topics and their key findings.
The article Toward a mechanism for secondary trauma induction and reduction: Reimagining a theory of secondary traumatic stress by Ludick & Figley (2017) explores differences in secondary trauma for individuals working with traumatized military personnel. The CFR model utilized in this research aims to provide a basis for the understanding of differences in reactions to secondary trauma to guide future research and practice in military secondary trauma. The researchers noted that secondary traumatic stress was a relatively new concept that shares some symptoms with PTSD. They went further to identify the scope and mechanism of the conditions, which include empathetic concern, long periods of exposure, and elevated compassion stress. Limited concentration on secondary trauma can potentially result in poor outcomes for PTSD patients due to poor concentration and negative attitudes of the health worker (Ludick & Figley, 2017). In developing a model for identifying and treating STS, the authors consider factors that contribute to the development of the condition and categorized them as an empathetic response, the perils of continuous exposure, and a mix of other life demands.
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The CFR model developed in this study favors the widely accepted concept that theory should yield a clear understanding of a complex concept by developing a clear, simple, and straightforward approach to the phenomenon (McBurney, 1996). In the context of this research, military secondary trauma is a relatively new concept that is not extensively understood by researchers and healthcare providers. The CFR model, therefore, fulfills the knowledge need by simplifying its understanding by explaining the occurrence of the condition using previously understood factors of PTSD. More specifically, it provides a basis for predicting the most vulnerable individuals to secondary trauma, twelve predictors of trauma, and factors that contribute to the severity of the condition (Ludick & Figley, 2017). Importantly, the researchers highlight that the amount of exposure to trauma patients is a critical determinant of the development of the condition. Evidence on exposure time to traumatic patients is apparent with counselors who showed a high amount of secondary trauma caseloads.
The researchers observed similar trends with individuals who interacted with PTSD veterans by telephone, revealing that secondary trauma is not limited to physical exposure. The negative effects of secondary trauma are severe, where the individuals have no training or access to counselors to talk about their condition. Furthermore, a high level of empathetic concern for the veteran creates a deeper exposure hence increasing the chances for STS. The researcher delved into the hugely ignored aspect of life demands and how they affect the development of secondary trauma (Ludick & Figley, 2017). They found that individuals weighed down by other life demands have a reduced coping mechanism hence become vulnerable to secondary trauma.
On the flip side, the method adopted for the study relies mainly on findings from previous studies as opposed to quantities research. Performing surveys and interviews on patients can provide deeper insights into the conditions that will contribute to the professional understanding of secondary trauma. Empirical studies on military secondary trauma can provide verifiable data and conclusions that explain how the conditions affect different groups of people as opposed to a generalized approach. Future research should, therefore, aim for a group-specific approach to improve diagnosis and treatment methods.
Another article , Parenting with PTSD: A review of research on the influence of PTSD on parent-child functioning in military and veteran families by Creech & Misca (2017), explores how family systems are affected by PTSD on the part of the veteran. The researchers discuss the possibilities of the parent trauma, causing secondary trauma on the children or the spouse. The high prevalence of PTSD in veterans returning from war, estimated at 23%, means that the adverse effects can easily pass to family members (Creech & Misca, 2017). The study utilized parenting data as reported by veterans and personnel deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as diagnosed PTSD data from this group. They noted that parenting is affected by PTSD symptoms such as behavioral avoidance and emotional instability. Furthermore, the negative effects of secondary trauma on the veteran’s spouse can pass to children leading to emotional issues.
The current study reviewed several aspects of secondary trauma with a focus on the crucial aspect of family relationships. This research is especially important considering that previous studies mostly focus on military secondary trauma at a single level, which is the effect on the individual exposed to the PTSD patient (Creech & Misca, 2017). Delving into the effect of secondary trauma on the spouse and how it impacts the children provides critical knowledge on compounded effects of secondary trauma (Landrum & Davis, 2010). The researchers found that parents who had mental health issues had an increased chance, 171%, of reporting emotional and behavioral problems on their children (Creech & Misca, 2017). The finding highlights the severity of trauma on the parents affecting the child’s emotional and behavioral wellbeing. It emerges that the effects of trauma on the veteran can escalate on the children and result in unexpected negative outcomes. Trauma on the veterans also affected perceptions about the functioning of their children, thus introducing a new perspective into the reported psychological being of the children (Creech & Misca, 2017). As such, the study reveals that the reporting by the parents can sometimes emerge erroneous in relation to their perceived effects of secondary trauma on their children. The study, however, does not limit the negative emotional adjustment of the child to the effects of secondary trauma but suggests that the absence of the parent may also contribute to depression. The choice of various categories of literature for the study allows the reader to assess the multiple approaches in studying secondary trauma and the extent that it impacts family relationships from various perspectives.
The study, however, does not consider the limitations of the selected studies in the review; hence may contain inconsistencies from the original studies. Furthermore, focus on immediate family members of veterans that served in the US military ignores the effects of secondary trauma on their extended family members. Future research on the subject should aim to understand how secondary trauma affects family members of active military personnel and those that are no longer in service. A comparison between the two groups can provide an analysis of how time affects the development of secondary trauma in family members.
References
Creech, S. K., & Misca, G. (2017). Parenting with PTSD: A review of research on the influence of PTSD on parent-child functioning in military and veteran families. Frontiers in Psychology , 8 , 1101. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01101
Landrum, R. E., & Davis, S. F. (2010). The psychology major: Career options and strategies for success . Pearson.
Ludick, M., & Figley, C. R. (2017). Toward a mechanism for secondary trauma induction and reduction: Reimagining a theory of secondary traumatic stress. Traumatology , 23 (1), 112-124. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/trm0000096
McBurney, D. (1996). How to think like a psychologist: Critical thinking in psychology . Pearson.
