Intimate relationship distress and combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder

Abstract

Combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (ptsd) has a significant deleterious effect on interpersonal relationships. Intimate partner relationships can play a crucial role in the mediation, amelioration, maintenance, or aggravation of combat-related ptsd. This chapter presents a case of relationship distress in a 28-year-old female spouse of an Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) combat veteran with ptsd. The spouse presents with impaired functioning in behavioral, cognitive, and affective domains specifically reactive to the unique symptom clusters of her husband s ptsd. She also reports associated psychosocial problems to include divorce, occupational difficulty, financial problems, caregiver burden, and mental health stigma. Treatment includes a thorough safety assessment, psychiatric evaluation, individual and couple-based cognitive behavioral psychotherapy, and referral to supportive services. Developing a greater understanding of the impact and complex interplay of combat-related ptsd on intimate relationships can be of great benefit to the mental health providers, the veterans, their intimate partners, and the family system.