POSTTRAUMATIC-STRESS-DISORDER AMONG FEMALE VIETNAM VETERANS - A CAUSAL MODEL OF ETIOLOGY

Objectives. The Vietnam and Persian Gulf wars have awakened people to the realization that military service can be traumatizing for women as well as men. This study investigated the etiological roles of both wa r and sexual trauma in the development of chronic posttraumatic stress disorder among female Vietnam veterans. Methods. Data from the Nation al Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study for 396 Vietnam theater women a nd 250 Vietnam era women were analyzed with structural equation modeli ng. Results. An etiological model with highly satisfactory fit and par simony was developed. Exposure to war trauma contributed to the probab ility of posttraumatic stress disorder in theater women, as did sexual trauma in both theater and era women. Lack of social support at the t ime of homecoming acted as a powerful mediator of trauma for both grou ps of women. Conclusions. Within the constraints and assumptions of ca usal modeling, there is evidence that both war trauma and sexual traum a are powerful contributors to the development of posttraumatic stress disorder among female Vietnam veterans.