The role of grief in the delayed reaction of Vietnam veterans
Description
This exploratory study completed in 1996 of 34 Vietnam veteran voluntary respondents was conducted to explore the strength of association between Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and nine specific components of grief. Comparisons were made of the resulting global scores on the Mississippi Scale for Combat-Related PTSD and the scores from each scale of the Grief Experience Inventory (GEI). The nine scales, or specific grief components, are Despair, Anger, Guilt, Social Isolation, Loss of Control, Rumination, Depersonalization, Somatization, and Death Anxiety. A nonparametric statistic, the Spearman rank correlation coefficient was used to analyze the comparative rankings of scores Results suggest that each of the nine comparisons was positively related and significant at, at least, the.05 level. Rankings of scores for Despair, Somatization, and Anger/Hostility were the variables indicating the highest agreement with rankings of PTSD scores The research builds on interactive models of PTSD etiology and contributes to the quantitative exploration of the correlation between the components of grief and PTSD still being manifested. The findings support the stage of grief resolution as an important consideration for assessment and treatment of PTSD